The Rimouski Oceanic didn’t even give the Lewiston Maineiacs a chance.
Dominant and overpowering, Sidney Crosby’s line racked up four goals in the opening period as the Oceanic cruised to a 7-1 win over the Maineiacs in front of 5,062 fans at the Colisee de Rimouski.
And if the loss wasn’t enough, Lewiston may have lost yet another player for the season when Mathieu Aubin took a clean but bone-jarring hit in the middle of the ice from Eric Neilson. Aubin crumbled to the ice and did not move for a couple of minutes. According to the radio broadcast of the game, Aubin was clutching the same shoulder that caused him to miss 20 games earlier this season as he was helped off the ice.
The coaching staff could not be reached following the game.
Jonathan Bernier, meanwhile, played well in the opening frame, and indeed throughout the game, despite allowing so many goals. He faced 52 shots in three periods of work, and stopped 45.
The Oceanic have gone 26 games without losing, and are one game shy of tying the QMJHL record of 27 straight games without a loss.
Lewiston’s loss combined with an overtime Gatineau win over Drummondville leaves the Maineiacs in 10th place overall, one point back of Gatineau for ninth and two back of Cape Breton for eighth. The one point gained by Drummondville also means that the Voltigeurs, against whom the Maineiacs will play Friday, are one point behind Lewiston.
Rimouski’s big line got things cranking early for the home team, as Crosby, Dany Roussin and Marc-Antoine Pouliot combined to score four goals and racked up eight total points in giving the Oceanic a 4-0 lead.
In the second period, Rimouski ran the lead to 5-0 on a Danny Stewart goal before Brandon Roach got the Maineiacs’ lone tally on a one-timer with an extra skater.
The Oceanic managed one more in the second and added another in the third. Crosby had a point on every Rimouski score but one, and that because he was in the penalty box on a matching penalty when that goal was scored.
Despite many recent complaints about the consistency of the league’s referees, or perhaps because of them, the Maineiacs actually had more chances with an extra skater Wednesday, but only capitalized once on 10 chances. Rimouski had nine power plays and scored five goals with an extra skater.
After facing Drummondville on Friday, Lewiston will finish the regular season at home Sunday against Victoriaville.
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