Rene Bourque isn’t the only one who got a hat trick Tuesday night.
His parents’ front lawn in Lac La Biche, Alta., was sprinkled with hats the morning after Bourque’s three goals helped keep his Canadiens alive in Game 5 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
“I’m thrilled to see a nice crowd come out and support hockey, because this is Oiler fan country, but obviously Rene’s got a lot of support in this community, which is great, eh?” Bourque’s dad, Gary, told the Lac Labiche Post. “It’s always nice to see them win. But if he’s part of the goal production or the assist, it’s a bonus for him, and I’m sure it’s a bonus for me, eh?”
Bourque scored his first hat-trick of his career in the chaotic game that ended in a 7-4 victory for the Canadiens, forcing a Game 6 Thursday night in New York.
Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien appreciated Bourque’s effort in the game.
“In the end of the regular season, we saw Rene engaged in the game a lot more, moving his feet, being physical, going hard to the net. He’s doing a lot of good things,” Therrien told reporters Wednesday.
Bourque’s first goal came 6:54 into the second period, followed by his second at 15:10.
“You can’t expect a player to score three goals every night or even score every game,” said Therrien. “But even when he doesn’t score, he’s playing solid hockey.”
Bourque’s third goal came on a wrist shot 6:33 into the third.
Therrien said it wasn’t just Bourque’s goal-scoring that stood out for him.
“He’s getting involved physically. And last night, for me, it was leadership. It was a huge game for us. He came up big, and that’s good not only for him, but for us,” said Therrien.
