LEWISTON – It was like putting in a little bit of extra work just so you can take that long weekend off.
The Lewiston Maineiacs needed overtime Wednesday evening, but the nearly two minutes of added work paid significant dividends as the club advances to the second round of the QMJHL playoffs for the first time.
Instead of traveling back to Shawinigan to try and finish off the Cataractes, the Maineiacs are staying put for the next week. They don’t know the who or where about their next playoff game, but Lewiston knows it has time to get ready.
“We have nine days off,” said Lewiston coach Clem Jodoin. “I think it’s going to be good. We’re still banged up. We’re still injured. That will give us extra time to get ready for the next round.”
Lewiston has had great success in overtime sessions this season, going 4-0-8.
Though the Maineiacs typically don’t talk about their overtime success, the bidding began late in regulation on a monetary prize for the game-winner. Sheldon Wenzel’s one-timer of a Ryan Murphy pass 1:55 into the extra session netted him $300, but it was a profitable victory for all.
“We had fun,” said Jodoin. “We had that chemistry going on. It was nice to see the players push hard together and pull in the same direction.”
Lewiston lost in overtime in Game Four of last year’s first round playoff series, putting them in a 3-1 hole. At times Wednesday, the Maineiacs looked like they needed a break as they skated in their fourth game in six days.
“We’re pretty tired,” said center Mathieu Aubin. “We were tired at the end of the third. It was huge to score, because we didn’t want to go back to Shawinigan for a fifth game. Now we have a good break so everyone can get better.”
Aubin has been playing while trying to recover from a shoulder injury. He can’t help but wonder how much better he’ll feel in another week.
“I’m playing with a little pain,” said Aubin. “With that week of rest, I can get better and maybe be without pain anymore.”
Wenzel has been banged up all year with various bumps and bruises. Nicolas Cowan has been serving a 10-game suspension and will be back in action in the next game.
Colby Gilbert is recovering from a neck injury. Maxime Mathieu is on the rebound from a knee injury. Gilbert, Mathieu and Aubin each saw limited duty in this series.
“We have a lot of injured players,” said Aubin. “It’s good to have a little break like this so those players can get better. “
With a refreshed and rejuvenated team, the next round holds all kinds of promise.
“We don’t know who we’ll face, but I know one thing, it’s going to be good,” said Jodoin. “It’s going to be exciting.”
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