LEWISTON – Moncton isn’t exactly a pushover, and the Lewiston Maineiacs know it.

“They are one of the top four teams in the league, I think,” Maineiacs coach Mario Durocher said. “They have played well recently, too.”

The Wildcats are currently in third place overall in the league with 80 points, and despite struggling on a recent road trip to western Quebec, have beaten Cape Breton and Halifax in the last week.

“They have a lot of solid players,” Durocher said. “You can go right down the list. (Steve) Bernier is a very good player, so are their two European players (Konstantin Zakharov and Martin Karsums). They have some solid defensemen in (Nathan) Saunder and (James) Sanford, too. I think if we put pressure on them, though, I think we can use our speed in their zone.”

For the Maineiacs, the key to the game may end up being how healthy they are on the blue line. Richard Stehlik did not skate in practice on Saturday, and is expected to work out on Sunday morning to test his pulled groin. Bobby Gates, Stehlik’s partner on the ice, also sat out Saturday’s practice with a hip flexor. He seemed optimistic about his return for Sunday’s game.

“The defensemen are the most important part of this team,” Durocher said. “When we have injuries like this, we need the forwards and the goaltending to step up and play a bigger role.”

Matt Davis, who has a personal four-game unbeaten streak, is expected to play on Sunday against his former team.

“We had a good practice (on Saturday),” Durocher said. “This is still part of the test before the playoffs. If we play well, we can win this game.”

NOTES: Kevin Turgeon, who is still out with a concussion, has gone to Montreal to see the same specialist that saw Eric Lindros when he was suffering from multiple concussions. According to Durocher, the team will know more around the first of March.

Copy the Story Link