New York. Now the Ryan O’Reilly era has really begun in Toronto.
The Maple Leafs’ freshman star completed a hat-trick in a stunning victory game against Buffalo last night.
– Of course it feels great, he says after a 6-3 victory to which William Nylander also contributed his 32nd goal of the season.
Last night was the annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, and that usually means the fun-loving city at the mouth of the Mississippi River is more than usual the liveliest place on the North American continent, but this time it’s not impossible that they ran just as strong in Toronto.
Because when fat day peaked, the Maple Leafs’ new savior hit a hat.
Already at the start of the away meeting with the Buffalo Sabers, Ryan O’Reilly scored two goals – within 37 seconds. Then he also made his third in the form of a blue and white maple leaf in an empty box at the end.
And so Christ arrived in the Canadian capital where hockey means everything.
– I was just happy to score the first goal and that there would be two more… Of course it was amazing, says the 32-year-old when he meets the media afterwards.
—but our entire series, with me and Mitch Marner and John Tavares, was producing tonight.
You can safely say that. Marner had five assists, Tavares had a goal and three assists and O’Reilly himself plus his three goals as well.
– If you played a series that scored thirteen points in the same match before? No, I don’t have. But I can assure you it’s fun, smiling ‘ROR’.
Coach Sheldon How thinks so, too.
– The whole team played incredibly well. In the first period we were more dominant than we have been all season. And that chain…it was huge to see, he says.
A bit in the dark, William Nylander also played another great game and got two more points – including the 32nd goal of the season, which moved him back to the top of the Swedish Shooting League.
Rasmus Dalin assisted one of the home team’s goals.
