Lemieux Gets Hat Trick Against Canadiens Again

Before ending his 3 1/2-year retirement last month, Mario Lemieux predicted he would play at a high level. But not even he predicted this.

Lemieux needed less than a month to get the first three-goal game of his newly resumed career, a hat trick Wednesday night that carried the suddenly defensive Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Pittsburgh.

Lemieux, responding to cheers of “Mar-i-ooo, Mar-i-ooo” from the 13th consecutive sellout crowd to watch him during his remarkably successful comeback, scored in each period for the 40th three-goal game of his career.

Only Wayne Gretzky with 50 hat tricks has more in NHL history. Lemieux went into retirement in 1997 tied with Mike Bossy with 39.

Lemieux again saved one of his big nights for his hometown Canadiens, the team he grew up rooting for. His last game with three or more goals was at Montreal on Jan. 26, 1997, when he tied an NHL record with four goals in the third period.

Remarkably, Lemieux scored his three goals Wednesday on his first three shots.

“It’s nice to get one [hat trick] because I’ve had a couple of other opportunities,” said Lemieux, who already has three multiple-goal games since returning Dec. 27. “I still get up to play Montreal, it’s where my family lives and I have a lot of friends there watching me.”

It seems that most everyone in the building was impressed--everyone except linemate Jaromir Jagr, that is.

“I’m surprised it took him four years to get another hat trick,” Jagr said, laughing. “He’s supposed to be the best player, and it takes him four years to get a hat trick?”

New Jersey 4, Dallas 1--Pete Sykora had a goal and an assist and Patrick Elias two assists as the Devils scored four goals in the first 11:21 at Dallas.

The last three came in a span of 1:11, knocking out goaltender Marty Turco and taking all the tension out of the Devils’ first visit to Dallas since hoisting the Stanley Cup there in June.

Detroit 4, Nashville 3--Defenseman Mathieu Dandenault had a goal and an assist to lead the Red Wings at Dallas.

Boston 2, Toronto 1--Jason Allison ended a 14-game scoring drought with a third-period goal that gave the Bruins a victory at Toronto.

Washington 2, Florida 1--Peter Bondra scored two goals, the second a follow-up shot with 11:46 left that gave the Capitals a victory at Washington.

Carolina 3, New York Rangers 2--Niclas Wallin, David Tanabe and Martin Gelinas turned around a Carolina deficit with second-period goals at New York.

San Jose 6, Edmonton 1--Six players scored for the Sharks at San Jose as they ended a five-game winless streak, their longest of the season.

Vancouver 6, Phoenix 2--Ed Jovanovski and Mattias Ohlund each had a pair of assists and six players scored for the Canucks, who ended a four-game losing streak at Vancouver, Canada.

Goals by Josh Holden, Markus Naslund, Trent Klatt, Harold Druken and Jarkko Ruutu staked the Canucks to a 5-0 lead by the 7:05 mark of the second period. Todd Bertuzzi completed Vancouver’s scoring with a third-period goal.