Ryan O’Reilly hat trick leads Maple Leafs to win over Sabres

Ryan O’Reilly appears to be fitting in just fine in Toronto.

The 32-year-old centre recorded a hat trick in a 6-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, the first time O’Reilly has found the back of the net since being acquired by Toronto from the St. Louis Blues along with centre Noel Acciari last week.

O’Reilly, who played three seasons in Buffalo before an offseason trade sent him to St. Louis, scored a few minutes into the game on a one-time pass from Leafs winger Mitch Marner. The veteran wasted no time getting back on the scoresheet, scoring his second goal of the game 37 seconds later.

SO NICE HE DID IT TWICE! ????‍???? pic.twitter.com/fRbnqtdapl

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 22, 2023

O’Reilly would finish the Sabres off with an empty netter, his third goal of the game, and his 15th goal of the year. Marner finished with five assists, a single-game career-high, with captain John Tavares adding a goal and three assists.

It’s O’Reilly’s fourth career hat trick, with the last one coming as a member of the Blues in 2021. Tavares is the only other Maple Leafs to record a hat trick this season.

Toronto’s newest acquisition also had an assist on Tuesday as O’Reilly matched a single-game career-high with four points.

Some hatty on the road ???? ???? pic.twitter.com/DobhIQ8mZ1

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 22, 2023

Michael Bunting and William Nylander also scored for Toronto. Goalie Ilya Samsonov picked up the win, stopping 32 of 29 shots. Jack Quinn, Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner scored for Buffalo.

O’Reilly has centred Toronto’s new-look line with the Leafs, which has moved Tavares to the wing for the first time in his long career. O’Reilly is known for his faceoff-winning ability and strong two-way play.

RELATED: Leafs acquire O’Reilly, Acciari from Blues in 3-team trade

“This is something that we would’ve wanted to try at some point. And I just like the ability to go right to it here now. And as I told John when we first made this move, it won’t be a one-off or anything like that. We’re going to stay with it for a little bit and give it some time to come together,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said.

“They look to me like a group that’s close to breaking out.”

So far, he’s right.

Maple Leafs’ general manager Kyle Dubas acquired him and Acciari as part of a three-team trade that also included the Minnesota Wild. The Leafs traded their 2023 first-round pick, the Ottawa Senators’ third-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft, Toronto’s second-round pick in 2024, and Adam Gaudette and prospect Mikhail Abramov to the Blues, who retained 50 per cent of O’Reilly’s remaining contract.

Toronto received prospect Josh Pillar from the Wild in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025. Minnesota will retain 25 per cent of O’Reilly’s contract as part of the deal.

The Leafs will return home to face the Minnesota Wild on Friday.