Mike Reilly’s Magical Return: Sights, Sounds & A Lot Of Heart
No. 2 played in his first game since Nov. 1. He, his teammates and his head coach were all smiles after a monumental win over the Florida Panthers.
Mike Reilly had a lot of time to think about how his potential return to the New York Islanders’ lineup would play out after being sidelined following a Nov. 19 heart procedure.
A 4-2 come-from-behind win, where his stretch pass to Maxim Tsyplakov allowing the Islanders to tie the game at 12:16 of the third likely wasn’t how he drew things up.
But nevertheless, it was a game to smile about for No. 2, his teammates and his coach.
I asked Reilly if getting back was a proud moment, knowing the work that had to go into a return before season’s end.
“It’s been pretty tough,” Reilly said. “Just to be back, it's special. Obviously a lot of work went into it, some unknowns at times. But all in all, it’s good to be back. The goal was to get back for the end of the season. And I'm glad that happened.”
Reilly recorded one shot on two attempts in 14:23 minutes of action, with that assist.
And let’s get to that assist before we get to more postgame quotes, shall we?