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Vanek, Habs explode in third, ruin Roy’s return to Montreal

Colorado Avalanche v Montreal Canadiens

MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 18: Thomas Vanek #20 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates his second-period goal with teammates during the NHL game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Bell Centre on March 18, 2014 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

Richard Wolowicz

Thomas Vanek managed just one assist in his first five games with the Montreal Canadiens, but he likely silenced any critics in a big way on Tuesday (and soiled Patrick Roy’s coaching debut in Montreal in the process).

Vanek generated his first goal and hat trick with the Habs as Montreal exploded with a 4-1 third period to beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-3 tonight. The 30-year-old scored the game-winner and the 5-3 insurance tally before an empty-netter gave Montreal three unanswered goals.

Here’s each clip from Vanek’s hat trick:

The Canadiens are now on a three-game winning streak, with Carey Price grabbing two of those victories. (That last part probably matters most to Montreal.)

If this is Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s final game in Montreal, it didn’t finish very well, as he allowed five goals on 35 shots (and three on 12 in the final frame). The rest of Tuesday’s action will determine if this burns a little extra for Patrick Roy, as the Chicago Blackhawks are also in action.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins