PORTLAND - Jonathan Bernier's return to Maine - his first regular-season game in Maine as a professional - didn't quite start out the way he'd hoped.

Bernier spent his debut with the Manchester Monarchs against the Portland Pirates on Saturday night camped out by the players' entrance to the ice, watching as fellow goalie Jonathan Quick and the rest of his team dug a three-goal hole in the second period, out of which they could not climb.

Mark Mancari finished a hat trick early in the third period, Tyler Bouck scored a pair of goals and Tim Kennedy added his first professional goal to lead the Pirates to a 6-3 opening-night win over the Monarchs at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Three of the Pirates' goals came in quick succession, including the pair by Bouck just 22 seconds apart in the second period, as Portland built a three-goal lead in the middle frame after finishing the first tied at two.

Manchester never sniffed the lead again. Mancari's third came early in the third period to run the Pirates' lead to 6-2.

Bud Holloway added Manchester's third goal at 17:45 of the third period.

Mancari traded goals with Josh Kidd and Gabe Gauthier in the opening frame that also featured a pair fights, sending the not-quite-capacity crowd into a frenzy each time.

Mancari punched in the game's first goal just 59 seconds in on a turn-around shot from an odd angle at the right post, stunning Manchester starter Jonathan Quick.

The Monarchs evened things up at 4:10 on Kidd's first of the season on the power play, and took a 2-1 lead at 13:59 on Gauthier's first, a rebound off of Portland keeper Adam Dennis' mask.

The Pirates returned the favor on a 5-on-3 power play just 2:18 later, when Mancari finished off a tic-tac-toe play from former PEI defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani.

In the second, Kennedy slid a rebound past Quick at 13:52. Bouck followed with a power play tally on a feed from former BC Eagle and reigning USA Hockey National College Player of the Year Nathan Gerbe. Twenty-two seconds later, Bouck finshed a 2-on-1 down low on a short-handed break.

Notes: Four Pirates' skaters who played in Saturday night's game have ties to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League since the Lewiston Maineiacs joined the league in 2003. Marek Zagrapan (Chicoutimi), Felix Schutz (Saint John) Marc-Andre Gragnani (PEI) and Jimmy Bonneau (PEI) were all in uniform Saturday at the Cumberland County Civic Center ... Manchester had a few familiar faces beyond Jonathan Bernier, too, though not from the QMJHL. Teddy Purcell and Michel Leveille, both formerly Maine Black Bears, each suited up for the Monarchs.