Alexandre Picard’s “garbage goal” allows the lewiston team to even the score.
LEWISTON – No one is quite sure how the puck found its way across the line, least of all Alexandre Picard, but that part doesn’t matter.
With goaltender Matt Davis on the bench for an extra attacker, Picard was credited with a bizarre goal at 19:05 of the third period, lifting the Maineiacs to a 2-2 tie with the Quebec Remparts at the Central Maine Civic Center Sunday.
“(Pierre-Luc Faubert) hit the post on a shot from in close,” said Picard. “It really was a garbage goal, but it went in and it tied the score, and that’s all that mattered.”
A television replay showed that Faubert’s initial shot glanced off the right post, prompting the referee to waive the goal off. Less than two seconds later, the red lamp behind the net came on and the referee pointed at the net. The puck had hit Picard’s skate in front of the net and trickled across the line.
“I can’t believe I missed the open net,” said Faubert. “The one-timer came from the point and I had the rebound.”
The fact that the game was that close to begin with had everything to do with Quebec netminder Jean-Michel Filiatrault. Filiatrault made 44 saves on 46 shots, many coming from close range, to lead the Remparts’ defensive effort.
“He stole that game for them, for sure,” said Maineiacs’ coach Mario Durocher. “We had our opportunities and we couldn’t finish them off.”
Opportunities came and went for both teams, particularly on the power play. The teams combined for 70 minutes in penalties and neither team seemed to stay at full strength for two minutes at a time.
“We spent too much time in the penalty box, for sure,” said Quebec coach Eric Lavigne. “It was our own stupid mistakes that hurt us.”
Quebec took a 1-0 lead on a nice effort by Vladimir Kutny, who drove down the right sideboards and popped the puck past Davis at 14:47 of the second period.
“The puck hit my shoulder,” said Davis. “I should have had that covered better.”
The Remparts added another at 1:56 of the third frame when Josh Hennessy stole a puck at center ice and used defenseman Francis Trudel as a screen. His wrist shot zipped by Davis high on the glove side.
Lewiston struck back and got the crowd back into the game with a goal at 10:18. Faubert took a cross-ice feed from Mathieu Aubin at the blue line and rounded the corner inside the Remparts’ zone, flicking his wrist and slipping the puck past Filiatrault.
“They played well with the trap and we were frustrated all night,” said Durocher. “We still had a lot of chances though, and we still need to work on finishing them.”
Lewiston travels to Baie-Comeau Thursday and to Rimouski Friday before returning home next Sunday to again face Quebec at home.
Comments are no longer available on this story