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‘Rejuvenated’ Weise enjoying the belief of his coach in Montreal

Dale Weise, P.K. Subban

Montreal Canadiens right wing Dale Weise, right, celebrates with defenseman P.K. Subban (76) after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during overtime of Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Wednesday, April 16, 2014, in Tampa, Fla. The Canadiens won the game 5-4. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

AP

Apparently, a fresh start in Montreal is just what Dale Weise needed.

Traded to the Canadiens by Vancouver in February, the 25-year-old forward was the overtime hero Wednesday in Tampa Bay. Not surprisingly, he’s feeling pretty good about life in the NHL these days.

“I just feel like my career got rejuvenated,” he said, per the Canadian Press. “The coaches here believe in me, they’ve had nothing but good things to say about me and look at the amount we were playing in overtime.

“It’s a coach (Michel Therrien) that has some trust in me and that just instills confidence in me. I just feel like every game I play with this team I continue to build confidence and get better.”

Weise’s coach with the Canucks was John Tortorella. The two were also together for a time in New York with the Rangers.

From the Vancouver Sun:

Weise and Tortorella had their problems when both were with the New York Rangers and there had been signs player and coach weren’t always seeing eye to eye in Vancouver.

“I thought I had some good stretches where I played real well,” Weise told Team 1040 radio on Monday. “I think I had my most success when I had the seven games there on the third line. It was easier for me to get in the action and contribute a little more. I was happy with my role in Vancouver and I thought I did it to the best of my ability.”

A good skater, Weise showed signs he could produce offensively while in the AHL, where he scored 57 times in 194 games for Hartford from 2008-11. He also had a rather prolific run -- 22 goals and 26 assists in 19 games -- while playing in the Netherlands during the lockout.

He looked pretty good scoring Wednesday’s winner, too.

“I got down on one leg, the old Brett Hull, and I just ripped it,” he said.