With another potential cut looming today, Thursday may have been the last chance for a few players to prove their worth.

In a game that saw the return of Alexandre Picard and Jonathan Paiement and the absence of a few other expected regulars, the Lewiston Maineiacs again played even with the Moncton Wildcats and salvaged a 4-4 tie at the Tim Horton 4-Plex.

“We had a good forecheck going for most of the game,” said assistant coach Ed Harding. “The only thing that we were unhappy with, really, was that we gave up a few odd-man rushes late in the game, and they ended up scoring on one of those.”

As has happened in previous preseason games, the Maineiacs fell behind early in the game, allowing two goals to Bruce Graham in the first seven minutes of the game. The team rallied around goaltender Jonathan Bernier and tied the score by the end of the period on goals from Picard and Marc-Andre Cliche. Picard also had an assist on Cliche’s goal.

“He was a little weary by the end of the game,” Harding said of Picard, “maybe a little out of game shape, but he played very well out there, especially with his linemates Cliche and (Derek) Bailey.”

Equally as strong for the Maineiacs was the blue line, which collectively allowed just 18 shots to get through to both Bernier and Jaroslav Halak, who entered the game midway through the second period.

In the second, Brandon Roach found the back of the net on the power play to put the Maineiacs ahead 3-2. In the third, Moncton tallied two more goals, with Michal Korenko adding one in between for the Maineiacs.

The Maineiacs have just one preseason game left – next Thursday night in Shawinigan – before the season-opener in Halifax on Sept. 24.