WATCH: Ryan O'Reilly scores a hat trick as Toronto Maple Leafs beat Buffalo Sabres

Ryan O'Reilly made his third start for the Toronto Maple Leafs and scored a hat-trick to help his team win against the Buffalo Sabres.

The game was fast-paced from the start and O'Reilly made the opportunity count by scoring at the 3:51 mark, finishing off the Mitchell Marner and John Tavares assists. The Leafs dominated the proceedings, with Ryan O'Reilly scoring his second goal within a minute of his first.

He then partnered with Mitchell Marner to set up a goal for John Tavares. The Maple Leafs finished the first period leading 4-0.

With the start of the second period, the Leafs increased their lead to five goals through William Nylander, making the powerplay count by scoring with assists from Tavares and Marner.

The third period saw the Sabres fight back, scoring three goals within eight minutes of play.

However, learning from their past mistakes, the Leafs defended well to avert any further threat from the Sabres offense. With a quick counter, the Leafs scored another through Ryan O'Reilly with less than two minutes to play to put the game beyond the reach of the opposition.

Toronto Maple Leafs' season so far

The Maple Leafs have played well and are currently second in the Atlantic Division with 78 points. They are in a strong position to finish the season in the top four with a lead of three points over the third-placed Tampa Bay Lightning with a game in hand.

The Leafs have done well offensively and are close to breaching the 200-goal mark this season. Contributions from William Nylander and Auston Matthews have provided them with much-needed offensive boost, with the duo scoring 57 goals between them.

Mitchell and Tavares have also been involved in goal creation and conversion, bolstering the team's offense.

The Leafs have also defended well this season and have only conceded around 2.6 goals per game on average. The goaltenders have played their part, with Ilya Samsonov leading from the front with a save percentage of 0.915.

With the addition of Ryan O'Reilly, the team has improved further and looks more stable. With a crucial phase of the season underway, the Leafs will be focused on not losing games, especially against weaker teams that could threaten their season prospects.