The Maple Leafs will get a shot in the arm during the homestretch of the regular season when veteran center Ryan O’Reilly returns to action for Thursday’s tilt with the rival Bruins.
O’Reilly told the media that he expects to suit up when the Leafs visit TD Garden for the final time in the regular season. The forward has been out since March 4, when he broke a finger against the Canucks.
O’Reilly’s return became a formality when Toronto moved depth forward Bobby McMann to the LTIR to clear enough cap room to activate the former Conn Smythe winner.
Despite an unlucky 2022-2023 campaign during which he has fallen far below his career scoring pace, O’Reilly’s defense and playoff experience could prove vital to a top-heavy Maple Leafs forward group.
Now that a second consecutive first-round date with the Tampa Bay Lighting is confirmed, Toronto will hope that the 32-year-old is at 100 percent in time to slow down the defending Eastern Conference champions’ vaunted attack.
The Maple Leafs would also appreciate some scoring punch from O’Reilly, who has 15 goals and 24 points in 48 games this year. The former Selke winner notched four of his five points as a Maple Leaf in one game and was on a five-game cold streak before his injury.
Even with O’Reilly back, the Maple Leafs still have injury issues to address before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin.
Former Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Matt Murray is out with a head injury, and rookie Joseph Woll has been lights-out. Coach Sheldon Keefe will need to seriously consider who he wants to back up Ilya Samsonov against the Lightning.
If the Maple Leafs can overcome their goalie drama and an O’Reilly-centric lineup shakeup to play .500 hockey the rest of the way, they will secure home ice in a grudge match against Tampa Bay. That journey begins in Boston on Thursday.
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