Maineiacs escape Chicoutimi with one point

Even a two-goal lead on the road wasn't safe enough for the Lewiston Maineiacs.

Playing their third game in four nights, the Maineiacs salvaged a point from their road trip Saturday, sneaking out of Chicoutimi after a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sagueneens in front of 2,981 at the Centre Georges Vezina.

"I thought we played hard tonight for about 55 minutes," Maineiacs' coach Don MacAdam said. "We had two breakaway chances Friday night and another three (Saturday), not counting the shootout, and we couldn't bury any of them. Not to say that we need to score every time on a breakaway, but there's no question we're having a hard time finishing right now."

The Maineiacs still held a 3-2 lead late in the third when Antoine Roussel netted his 10th goal of the season, capitalizing on a scrum in front of netminder Adrien Lemay.

"We had everyone in position defensively, and we just weren't able to get a handle on the puck to get rid of it," MacAdam said. "That might have been an instant where we felt the negative effects of a three-in-four. There wasn't enough left to match their intensity."

After a scoreless 4-on-4 overtime session, Steve Lebel scored the lone shootout goal for the Sags to earn the win for his squad. Michael Chaput, Sebastien Trudeau and Alex Beaton all missed in the shootout for Lewiston.

"Sometimes, a shooter can try to do too much," MacAdam said. "(Lebel) showed the confidence to shoot early, and that made the dfference. He didn't overplay it, and that's what some of the shooters try to do."

The Sags got on the board first in the opening frame on a Max Chevrier goal. The Maineiacs replied on Beaton's ninth at 13:03.

In the second, Chaput made it 2-1, and Mathieu Gingras followed with his first of the season to put the visitors on top 3-1. That's the last goal 16-year-old netminder Robin Gusse would allow.

"He didn't start particularly well," MacAdam said, "but he got stronger as the game went along, I thought. Adrien (Lemay) was solid as well on our end."

Dominic Jalbert netted his fifth of the season to pull Chicoutimi within one at 5:05 of the third, and Roussel knotted things up at 17:06 with his 10th.

The Maineiacs don't play again until Sunday, Nov. 22 when they host Saint John at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.