The streak is over.
It took a late-game penalty kill of a one-minute 5-on-3 and subsequent 5-on-4, and a stellar effort between the pipes by a re-energized Jonathan Bernier, but the Lewiston Maineiacs ended their franchise record seven-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 1-0 road win over the expansion Saint John Sea Dogs in front of 3,667 at Harbour Station.
“We played well,” said Maineiacs coach Clem Jodoin. “We played very well and we deserved to win. Some of the games this year, we have played well and deserved to win but we lost, so this was important.”
Pier-Luc Champagne scored the game’s only goal, at 6:52 of the third period on assists from Jakub Bundil and Derek Bailey, and Bernier turned aside 22 shots to earn the shutout.
“I was really a bad goal,” said Jodoin, “but we’ll take it. It was a bad-angle shot by Bundil that came back out in front and Champagne hit it out of the air.”
The game was Bernier’s first since visiting family following the passing of his grandfather.
“(Bernier) didn’t see many shots,” said Jodoin, “but he made some great saves, including three great saves on the penalty kill late in the game.”
Fate seemed to be turning once again against the Maineiacs late in the game. Following Champagne’s goal, his third of the year, Bundil, Chad Denny and Bailey took penalties to give the Sea Dogs (7-9-0-2) time with an extra attacker. The penalties to Denny and Bailey came one minute apart with less than four minutes to play in the game, forcing Lewiston to kill off a 5-on-3. With one minute to play, the Sea Dogs pulled starting netminder Jason Churchill for an extra skater, again giving Saint John an advantage.
Lewiston (6-8-0-3) won for the first time since defeating Halifax 5-3 at the Colisee on Oct. 11.
“When you lose badly, seven losses are seven losses, but when you play well it is not as bad. We were playing well enough to win in some of those games. Now, with Halifax losing 8-0 (Wednesday), we have to see if we can jump on that, and get back into the race.”
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