Marner’s 5 assists, O’Reilly’s hat trick power Maple Leafs past Sabres

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ new-look second line stole the show Tuesday night against the Buffalo Sabres, as Mitch Marner recorded a career-high five assists and newcomer Ryan O’Reilly potted a hat trick in the 6-3 victory.

Captain John Tavares, who moved to left wing on line two after last Friday’s trade, netted four points as well. The trio’s dominant performance marked the first time in franchise history three players recorded three points apiece in the first period of a game, according to NHL Public Relations.

Marner’s five-helper night was the first by a Leaf since Doug Gilmour in 1997. The modern-era franchise record for assists in a game is six, a mark shared by Babe Pratt (1944) and Gilmour (1993).

Despite Marner’s prolific night, he was more happy to see O’Reilly shine.

“He’s a hell of a guy,” Marner said of his newest teammate, per TSN. “He works extremely hard. He wants to come in and help his team win games, and I think he’s done a great job the past two games. It’s fun to see him break out tonight.”

O’Reilly opened the scoring 3:51 into the first period, then added his second 37 seconds later before adding an empty-netter in the third. He also recorded an assist.

The 32-year-old said having his big night against the Sabres, who he suited up for from 2015-2018, was extra sweet.

“It feels a little better than in other buildings,” O’Reilly said, according to the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. “To get on the board, get the first one out of the way, it’s a good feeling. It would have been nice to shut the door and not let them get back into it, but a win is a win.”