Habs down Avs in Roy's return to Montreal
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) - Thomas Vanek recorded a hat trick in the Canadiens' 6-3 win over Colorado on Tuesday, spoiling Avalanche coach Patrick Roy's return to Montreal.
Roy was a third-round pick by the Canadiens franchise in the 1984 draft and spent his first 10-plus seasons with Montreal before his infamous trade to Colorado in December of 1995 after a fallout with then head coach Mario Tremblay.
During his time with the Habs, Roy won a pair of Conn Smythe Trophies and Stanley Cup titles in 1986 and 1993. He also won two Cups and another Conn Smythe award with the Avalanche.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Roy faced Montreal for the first time as a coach when the Avalanche picked up a 4-1 victory at home on Nov. 2. On Tuesday, the former Canadiens goalie coached his first NHL game in Montreal.
Brandon Prust had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who have won three in a row. Travis Moen and Dale Weise also lit the lamp.
Carey Price stopped 25-of-28 shots for the victors.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jamie McGinn had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who also got goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Maxime Talbot. Jean-Sebastien Giguere turned aside 30-of-35 shots.
"I didn't want them to feel pressure of winning a hockey game for their coach. It's all about our team here," Roy said.
Vanek broke a 3-3 tie at 14:45 of the third period by completing a tic-tac-toe passing play. David Desharnais slid a pass to the goal line for Max Pacioretty, who found Vanek in front for the power-play goal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Less than three minutes later, Vanek deflected Alexei Emelin's shot from the point past Giguere.
"It was unbelievable," Vanek said of his three-goal night. "This place is electric."
Weise added an empty-net goal with one minute remaining to account for the final margin.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MacKinnon gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 18:03 of the first period when he tapped one in from the top of the crease.
The Canadiens tied it 1-1 on Vanek's first goal, which came at the 7:44 mark of the middle stanza. Vanek scored from the slot off a pass from Desharnais.
Talbot gave the Avalanche the lead again at 9:33 when he found the back of the net off Matt Duchene's pass from behind the net.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Montreal tied it again 48 seconds later when Moen spun and put a backhander past Giguere.
Prust's slap shot from the high slot gave the Canadiens a 3-2 edge at 3:33 of the third, but McGinn tied it for the Avalanche at 10:05.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Colorado had won four straight against Montreal ... Avalanche center Paul Stastny returned to the lineup after missing four games with an upper-body injury.