Weise’s hat trick drives Habs to victory
Team salvages last game of Western swing with 6-2 victory over Flames
CALGARY Dale Weise had his first career hat-trick and Paul Byron had a goal and an assist against his former team as the Canadiens got back on the winning track with a 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Rookie goaltender Mike Condon made 30 saves as he ran his record to 3-0. The win ended a two-game losing streak for the Canadiens who ran their record to an NHL-best 10-2-0. Striking first: The Canadiens took a 1-0 lead in the first period despite being outshot 15-13. Weise notched his fourth goal of the season at 5:20 when he put a shot between Joni Ortio’s pads. Tomas Fleischmann carried the puck into the Calgary zone and then pulled up along the boards and passed to Weise, who was trailing on the play. Condon made an early save on Sean Monahan and got a break when T. J. Brodie had an opening but lost the handle on the puck. Condon stopped Johnny Gaudreau on a wraparound attempt midway through the period. Scoring spree: After a first period marked by solid goaltending, both teams came out firing in the second period and produced four goals in the first 6:57. Jiri Hudler got the Flames on the board at the 27-second mark of the second period. He beat Condon from a sharp angle three seconds after the expiration of a penalty to Max Pacioretty. The Canadiens regained the lead when Nathan Beaulieu scored his first goal of the season on a power play at 2:32. Josh Jooris converted on a rebound of a shot by Gaudreau at 4:41 to deadlock the game at 2-2. Weise put Montreal back on top when he scored his second of the night at 6:57. He took advantage of some indecision by Mason Raymond to grab a loose puck in the Flames’ zone and beat Ortio with a 30-footer to the glove side. Happy homecoming: Byron, who was waived by the Flames at the end of training camp, stayed in the lineup in place of Alexander Semin. Byron picked up his first point as a Canadien when his cross-ice pass set up Devante Smith-Pelly to put Montreal ahead 4-2 at 12:22 of the second period and he added an unassisted short-handed goal at 3:53 of the third period. Byron blocked a pass in the neutral zone and then won a foot race against Mark Giordano. Weise completed the rout — and his hat-trick — when he scored at 11:44. Fleischmann took the puck to the net but passed up the shot for a blind drop pass to Weise. It was the first time Weise has had more than two points in a game. Home sweet home: The Canadiens will play their next four games at home, beginning Sunday night when the Winnipeg Jets are in town (7 p.m., Sportsnet One, Sportsnet 360, RDS, TSN-690 Radio). The Jets will be followed by the Ottawa Senators Tuesday, the New York Islanders Thursday and the Boston Bruins Saturday.