Dale Weise recorded the first hat trick of his career Friday night as the Montreal Canadiens returned to the win column with a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
After scoring the only goal of the first period, Weise broke a 2-2 tie with his second of the night at 6:57 of the second. On the game-winner, a trio of Flames failed to control the puck in their own end allowing Weise to steal it and beat Joni Ortio on a long wrist shot.
Weise’s third, from a scramble at 11:44 of the third period, resulted in hats raining down on the ice as if the game was being played at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
Nathan Beaulieu, Devante Smith-Pelly and former Flame Paul Byron also scored for Montreal (10-2-0), which salvaged the final game of its Western Canada road swing after losses in Vancouver and Edmonton.
Jiri Hudler and Josh Jooris scored for Calgary (2-8-1). The struggling Flames are winless in their last four and have yet to win a game in regulation.
Montreal made it 4-2 at 12:22 of the second, again capitalizing on sloppy defensive play by Calgary. Dennis Wideman had the puck stolen from him along the end boards and Kris Russell lost his man, enabling Byron to set up Smith-Pelly for an open net.
Montreal put the game away 3:52 into the third, taking advantage of another turnover _ this time allowing Byron to speed away and score on a short-handed breakaway.
With Carey Price getting the night off, rookie Mike Condon made his third career start for Montreal and improved to a perfect 3-0 with 30 saves.
Ortio had 25 stops to fall to 0-2-1.
Shaky goaltending continues to be the storyline in Calgary. Jonas Hiller, injured in his last game, is second-last in the NHL with an .861 save percentage. Opening night starter Karri Ramo, who was waived less than a week ago and sent to the minors, is at .879 after three starts. Ortio, a rookie, has struggled in both of his games.
Down 1-0, Hudler scored 27 seconds into the second period to tie it 1-1.
However, Beaulieu’s power-play goal two minutes later restored a 2-1 lead.
Jooris tied it again at 4:41, but it only remained that way for a couple of minutes.
Notes: Alexander Semin was a healthy scratch for the Canadiens for the second game in a row… Ortio started at home for the first time since March 21, 2014. His last nine NHL appearances had come on the road… Montreal’s Max Pacioretty was on the ice for Hudler’s goal. It was the first opposition goal he’s been on the ice for this season. He’s been on for 20 Canadiens goals… Calgary’s Kris Russell was minus-3 and is last in the NHL at minus-16.
