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Sheldon Keefe asked about the impact Ryan O'Reilly has had on the Leafs; his answer just says it all

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Mike Armenti
April 24, 2023 (10:12)

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Following a 7-3 drubbing in Game 1, which planted a lot of seeds of doubt as to whether or not the Leafs were ready to take that next step and succeed where others have failed against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ryan O'Reilly was one of the few people to remain calm, poised and confident with the media. O'Reilly simply told the media that the plan was to stay the course, learn from the loss and come back stronger in Game 2. That's exactly what the Leafs did.

Game 2 was a much better effort, with the Leafs dominating the Lightning in all 3 zones, scoring a touchdown and skating away with a 7-2 win over the Bolts, which re-established a lot of the faith that Leafs Nation had lost after the blowout loss in Game 1. Not only that, but O'Reilly was also one of the key factors in the team's 4-3 OT win in Game 3, recording a Gordie Howe hat trick in the contest (a goal, an assist and a fight) in a 3-point effort to help secure the victory.

O'Reilly's will to win is undeniable. It's noticed by everyone around him, including his head coach, Sheldon Keefe. This weekend, Keefe was asked what O'Reilly has meant to the team thus far in these playoffs and what his calm demeanor following the Game 1 loss did for the group. Here's what he had to say:

"It is huge. It comes a lot through his personality and a lot through his experience. The team that we are trying to beat here has a team full of those guys. That is the reality, right? That is where a lot of the confidence comes from. Once you have won, you have that extra swagger and confidence about you. You don't get rattled or fazed. It is just different. The more you can get of those kinds of guys, I think it is important. Through not just his experience but his ability on the ice, Ryan can match all of that and bring all of that to the table. We knew he was going to be an important member of our team. He certainly has been in this series thus far." - Keefe on what Ryan O'Reilly's presence has brought to the Leafs

O'Reilly is currently sitting at 5 points (2G, 3A) through his team's first 3 games of the postseason. Many had speculated that O'Reilly had lost a step over the past 4 years, following his Stanley Cup/Conn Smythe Trophy winning season in St. Louis. It would appear as though all of that speculation was a bit premature. O'Reilly, at 32 years of age, appears to still have some quality hockey left in him. Keefe sees it, the team sees it, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Tampa sees it.

Previously on MapleLeafsDaily

Sheldon Keefe reveals how he feels about Matthew Knies' performance so far in the playoffs

Alternate angle of Dubas' argument with Lightning fan shows how fired up the Leafs GM was during Game 3

Keefe salty with media when asked why the Leafs didn't make Samsonov available to speak after Game 3

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24 AVRIL \| 560 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe asked about the impact Ryan O'Reilly has had on the Leafs; his answer just says it all Has Ryan O'Reilly been a game-changer for the Leafs?
He's worth every piece we gave up and more	523	93.4 %
He's alright	31	5.5 %
The Leafs overpaid	6	1.1 %
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