WATCH: New Hab Vanek steals spotlight from Roy's return with hat trick

By Nick Stoico

Surely Thomas Vanek appreciates Patrick Roy's legacy in Montreal, but that didn't stop him from stealing the Hall-of-Famer's thunder on Tuesday. On the night that Roy made his first appearance the city as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, Vanek scored his first goal as a Hab en route to a hat trick in their 6-3 win.

Vanek, who was dealt by the New York Islanders to the Canadiens at the NHL trade deadline on March 5, has struggled to produce points since joining his new team. Prior to Tuesday night, he had only one in five games. But against Colorado, he put the Habs on the board with a wrister that tied the game 1-1 at 7:44 of the second period. In the third, he netted his second goal, giving Montreal a 4-3 lead. A couple of minutes later, he added his third on a tip-in from a shot at the point by Alexei Emelin. Both of Vanek's third period goals came on the power play.

And yet, even as he dominated the night, it was Travis Moen who scored  the prettiest goal with a nifty backhand shot that knotted the game at 2-2 in the second period: