Ryan O’Reilly has been here before.
“It’s the best time of the year,” the Maple Leafs centre said on Saturday, three days before the Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning play in Game 1. “This is what you play for all season, to finally have it right here on the doorstep, it’s the most fun the game is. It’s going to be extremely competitive, extremely difficult, but an exciting challenge.”
Four years have passed since O’Reilly led the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP.
Those memories are fresh, and though the Lightning has won two Cups since, O’Reilly’s experience can’t be underestimated.
“Having a deep run can help, for sure,” O’Reilly said. “Every year is different, teams are completely different. But still, it gives me confidence going in. I think I know what it should look like.”
Is there anything O’Reilly can point to, once the playoffs start, that can result in success?
“It’s something that I wouldn’t even know how to explain,” O’Reilly said. “It’s decisions that you make at the right times. Going up against Tampa, they know how to win. It’s going to take our best in order to beat them.”
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