Lewiston hosts Chicoutimi at the CMCC Friday and Saturday for a two-game set.
LEWISTON – Three times this season, Lewiston has encountered Chicoutimi, and all three games ended in identical fashion, 5-3.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the Sagueneens come to Lewiston for a rare double set of games at the Central Maine Civic Center.
“At the scheduling meeting back at the draft, we pushed for sets of games like this,” said Maineiacs coach Ed Harding. “It helps to foster solid rivalries, and it makes travel less of a difficulty for some of the teams. I think you’ll see a very feisty couple of games this weekend.”
The Chicoutimi team the Maineiacs will encounter will be different than the first few times the two met, mostly because of a new coach, Richard Martel.
“The first two times we saw them, they had their original coach,” said Harding. “Last time, their assistant was in charge, and this time a new coach will be there. That coaching style can make a difference in a hockey game, and from what we know of Martel (who used to be in Baie-Comeau), he likes to coach a very physical style of play.”
With Alex Bourret nearing 100 percent, and with Sheldon Wenzel, Nick Cowan, and Olivier Legault all at or near 100 percent, the Maineiacs appear ready to deal with any physical play the Saguenéens may try to bring.
As far as offense is concerned, the Maineiacs will be dealing with a team coming off of its first road win of the season, a 5-3 win Wednesday night over Shawinigan. Leading Chicoutimi is Sebastien Courcelles, who had one of his team’s goals Wednesday. Joining him on the list of players to watch this weekend are Francis Lemieux and Michel Cote, who both had three points Wednesday.
Goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers played well against Lewiston in his last appearance, and Alexandre Vincent has faced Lewiston twice.
“Vincent has played spectacular for them,” said Harding. “I think we may see both goaltenders this weekend, depending on whether or not Deslauriers is back from camp in Kitchener.”
On Wednesday, Deslauriers was listed as the backup to Vincent in the game against Shawinigan.
“The key against the Sagueneens is going to be the penalty kill,” said Harding. “They scored two power play goals against us in each of the first three games, and we want to leave this weekend perfect on the PK. We’ve been working hard on that, and I think it’s doable.”
The two games will mark the end of the first half of the season for the Maineiacs, and team members will get a seven-day layoff to return home for the holiday season. Both games this weekend start at 7 p.m.
jpelletier@sunjournal.com
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