Lewiston begins a seven-game homestand Friday.
Ten tough minutes ended Lewiston’s four-day journey through the Maritimes on a sour note.
Moncton scored three goals in the first 9:56 of regulation Monday evening, and the Wildcats skated away to a 4-1 victory over the Maineiacs in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action in front of 3,285 at Moncton Coliseum.
Bruce Graham, Konstantin Zakharov and Steve Bernier lit the lamp for the Wildcats (16-8-1-1) in the opening stanza.
Martin Karsums added an insurance goal in the third period.
Zakharov chalked up two assists for Moncton. Jonathan Paiement scored the lone goal, his seventh, for Lewiston.
The Maineiacs (9-14-1-1) remained in a three-way tie with Chicoutimi and Quebec for third place in the Eastern Division.
Lewiston begins a seven-game homestand Friday against the Prince Edward Island Rocket, followed by a key divisional clash Saturday against Chicoutimi.
Graham sent Moncton out of the starting blocks with his seventh goal of the season at 1:59. Maxime Desruisseaux and Zakharov picked up the assists.
Paiement picked up the equalizer with help from Alexandre Picard at 5:30.
It was the Maineiacs’ only strike against Corey Crawford, who made 30 saves. Along with the Moncton defense, Crawford silenced seven Lewiston power plays.
Zakharov’s 13th goal of the year put Moncton in front to stay at 8:23. James Sanford notched the first of his two assists.
Bernier made it 3-1 on the power play from Mathieu Betournay and Karl Gagne just inside the 10-minute mark.
Zakharov and Sanford set up Karsums’ 12th goal at 9:14 of the third.
Matthew Davis made 31 saves for the Maineiacs.
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