TORONTO | Ryan O’Reilly won the 2019 Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues and also carved his name on the Conn-Smythe Trophy. Four years later, he will dream of leading his childhood team, the Maple Leafs, to the promised land, an achievement not seen since 1967.
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O’Reilly, who was acquired by the Blues on February 17, is still discovering his new surroundings. He only played nine games with the Leafs and missed 14 games with a broken finger.
“I want to get to know my teammates even better, I want to jump on the ice for powerplay or shorthanded practice,” O’Reilly said after a morning practice session at the Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. I have to play.”
A native of Clinton, Ontario, O’Reilly still has a smile on his face as he describes the joy of wearing the blue Maple Leaf uniform.
“It’s still weird, but so is my parents,” he replied. My mother visited me during the Easter holidays. She took ten sweaters from people near her house for me to sign. My sister also brought a dozen shirts for autographs. I’m from a small town three hours from Toronto. There’s a buzz with the Maple Leafs. At the beginning of the season I imagined a playoff run with the Blues. Now I’m a member of the Leafs. I still find it unreal.”
“It’s probably even bigger for my parents than for me,” he continued. During the season you remain isolated as a player with your fellow players. You are in a small bubble. My parents are probably more in demand than me. I’m preparing for the playoffs on my side.”
In his first nine games in Toronto, O’Reilly has three goals and two assists.
perfection
In the first round of the playoffs, the Maple Leafs meet the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second straight year. Last year, the Lightning won seven games.
“Yeah, I like that challenge,” O’Reilly replied to that other duel against Tampa. We know the Lightning very well, but they also know us very well. There is a great rivalry between the two teams. In recent years, the Lightning have been the best team in the NHL. We know it’s going to be a tough series. We have to be perfect and more.”
The Leafs, who haven’t won a series since spring 2004, have stumbled in the first round (qualifiers in 2020) for the past six years.
“Yes, there is pressure,” O’Reilly said. It is obvious. It’s not easy to win. But I like our chances and the mentality of the team. I am happy to belong to this group.”
“I know it’s about the narrative [les éliminations au 1er tour], he continued. But we don’t talk about it in the dressing room. It’s no use thinking about it. I like it better that we focus on the details of our game: Whether you’re the Arizona Coyotes or the Toronto Maple Leafs, there’s something special when you make the playoffs. But Toronto is the Mecca of hockey.