It at first appeared that David Perron’s breakaway goal for his team-leading 34th goal of the season with 3:26 to play in Friday night’s game would be icing on the cake for the Lewiston Maineiacs.

It turned out to be the game-winner.

Six different Maineiacs scored, and rookie goaltender Peter Delmas and a depleted defensive corps held off a strong surge by Rouyn-Noranda in the final minute to lift Lewiston to a 6-5 win over the Huskies in front of 1,900 at Dave Keon Arena.

“I don’t care how, we found a way,” Maineiacs coach Clem Jodoin said. “When guys are tired, exhausted and banged up, it’s not always easy to find a way to win a game like this.”

The win, Lewiston’s third in a row and 43rd on the season, gives the Maineiacs 92 points and keeps them ahead of Cape Breton by four in the race for No. 1 overall in the Eastern Division and in the league. Cape Breton defeated Shawinigan at home Friday, while Telus Division-leading Val d’Or, which Lewiston will face today, lost at home to Victoriaville.

Lewiston limped into the game missing six regular players – four to injury and two more to a virus that hit a pair of them overnight.

“Triston Manson and Michal Korenko have a bad virus and stayed at the hotel tonight,” Jodoin said. “(Marc-Andre) Crete dressed but was not allowed to play.”

Marc-Andre Daneau, Jonathan Bernier and Stefan Chaput were also out with lingering injuries.

Two of 16 skaters left in front Delmas also made a homecoming of sorts Friday. Marc-Andre Cliche and Sebastien Piche each grew up within 10 minutes of the Dave Keon Arena. Each had a goal and an assist in the game. Pierre-Luc Faubert led all Maineiacs with three points.

“They played well for their families; that’s nice to see,” Jodoin said. “We had contributions from everybody again tonight, which we need when we’re short-handed like this.”

The homecoming started early for both Cliche and Piche as the two hooked up for a power-play goal just 1:58 into the game. Piche fired the puck from the point on a feed from Pierre-Luc Faubert. The puck hit a leg in front and bounced to Cliche, who fired it past goalie Jean-Philippe Levasseur to put Lewiston on top early.

The teams traded quick goals later in the first. Jeff Desjardins briefly tied the game at one at 13:41 with a power-play goal on a tip-in in front of Delmas, but Eric Castonguay struck back at even strength just 18 seconds later on a nice feed from Danick Hudon-Paquette on a 2-on-2.

Lewiston led by as many as three in the second period after goals from Kevin Marshall and Piche made it 4-1, but the Huskies mounted a comeback.

David Buc scored on his own rebound through the 5-hole on Delmas to make it 4-2, and Tyler Whitehead closed the gap to one with his 21st of the season at 13:29.

In the third, Lewiston twice went ahead by two, and twice the Huskies replied with goals of their own. Lewiston’s goals came from Faubert and Perron on his breakaway, and Rouyn-Noranda got goals from Michael Dubuc and Tyler Hawes.

The Maineiacs finish off their 3-in-3 road trip today against Val d’Or.