Chicoutimi stops Lewiston to win its 15th straight home game.
By Justin Pelletier
Staff Writer

There would be no comeback this time for the Maineiacs.

Francis Lemieux had two goals and an assist, Stanislav Lascek had a goal and an assist and Rosario Ruggeri added three assists as Chicoutimi won its 15th straight home game, a 5-3 triumph over Lewiston at the George Vezina Center on Thursday night.

The loss drops Lewiston below .500 for the first time in three weeks and increases the Sagueneens’ lead in the Eastern division to two points over Rimouski and 10 points over Lewiston, which is all but assured a playoff berth but fighting for position.

“It’s time to start getting ready for the playoffs,” Maineiacs coach Mario Durocher said. “We were behind all game long. Yes, we got a lot of shots on net, but we didn’t put pressure in front of the goalie at all, all night.”

Despite outshooting the Sagueneens in the first period, the Maineiacs went into the first intermission down 1-0 thanks to a last-second, power-play goal. Francis Lemieux scored on assists from Rosario Ruggeri and Stanislav Lascek.

At one point in the first period, Lewiston lead the shot count 14-3, and the Maineiacs held a 41-20 advantage in the game.

“That (goal was) my fault,” Durocher said. “I argued and got called for it (and) Chicoutimi scored, so I can take the blame for that one.”

The teams traded goals in the second. Chicoutimi twice took a two-goal lead, and twice the Maineiacs reponded. Yvan Busque put the Sags up 2-0 early in the second, only to have Vladislav Balaz convert an Alex Bourret pass into a power play goal two minutes later to make the score 2-1.

Michel Dube notched his ninth of the year for Chicoutimi at the 8:14 mark on passes from Lemieux and Ruggeri to re-establish the two-goal cushion, but Bourret again set up a goal, this time a Brandon Roach tally, to again pull Lewiston within one.

“We scored and they scored again,” Durocher said. “We never tied the game up. On their third one, I had put my fourth line out against their No. 1 line, which was my mistake, and that cost us there, too.”

Lascek scored a goal at 4:14 of the third period to again push the lead to two before Mathieu Aubin continued his hot streak with a goal at 9:31, again pulling the Maineiacs within one. But Lewiston got no closer, as Lemieux added his second of the night and 21st of the season to cap the scoring.

Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers made 38 saves to record the win, while Matt Davis turned aside 15 of 20 shots in the loss.

The Maineiacs play again on Friday night in Quebec before returning home to face Shawinigan on Sunday.

jpelletier@sunjournal.com

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