For the third straight series, the Maineiacs are ahead of a best-of-seven series 3-0 after another three-point night from Pierre-Luc Faubert and a stellar 34-save effort from Jonathan Bernier.

Things got interesting when Rouyn-Noranda scored its third power play goal of the game at 15:57 of the third to draw to within one at 4-3. Yannick Riendeau scored in his return to action after having his appendix removed on a tip-in in on a shot by Mathieu Carle.

Lewiston took a 4-2 lead after converting on its fourth power play of the game, as Pierre-Luc Faubert was stuffed by a sliding Levasseur, but David Perron followed that up with a wrap-around goal as he took the puck from behind the Rouyn-Noranda net, swooped around the outstretched stick of Levasseur and jammed it home.

Marc-Andre Cliche’s tip-in goal at 15:47 of the second was the only goal of a tough, physical, grinding period as Lewiston took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission in Game 3 of its best-of-seven semifinal series against Rouyn-Noranda.

After being outshot 19-11 in the first period, the Maineiacs roared back with 14 in the second to the Huskies’ nine.

The other semifinal series’ Game 3 has ended in dramatic fashion. Chris Culligan of Cape Breton was awarded a penalty shot in overtime, and fired the puck past Jeremy Duchesne to win game 3 for the Screaming Eagles, 5-4. The Screaming Eagles now lead that best-of-seven series 2-1.

Back in Rouyn-Noranda, at the 10:00 mark of the second period, Lewiston’s Danick Paquette was down behind the Huskies’ net after taking a hit from Justin Vienneau and falling awkwardly. He hit the ice rear-end-first, and then appeared to bounce backwards and hit his head on the ice.

Paquette hobbled off the ice with help from trainer Tom Bourdon and teammate Sebastien Piche. He never put weight on his left leg.

The Maineiacs knotted the score at two after an errant pass from Stefano Giliati hit a stick and bounced to Simon Courcelles. Courcelles fired the puck high to Levasseur’s blocker side to even the score late in the first period.

At the end of the first period, the shots stand at 19-11 in favor of Rouyn-Noranda, but the score, after Courcelles’ late goal, is 2-2.

Rouyn-Noranda took a 2-1 lead on a power play, getting a goal from a wide-open Tyler Whitehead, who took a feed at the right post from Hugo Carpentier on a rush by Justin Munden.

At 10:00 mark, Lewiston’s Jonathan Bernier made the save of the series to this point, sliding from his left to right to steal a sure goal from Michel Dubuc on a Rouyn-Noranda power play try.

Ivan Vishnevskiy scored the game’s first goal, firing a slapper past Bernier from the left point on a long rebound off of a shot by Justin Munden.

David Perron had taken a holding penalty to give the Huskies the advantage.

The Maineiacs tied the game on a goal by Pierre-Luc Faubert at 7:45 of the first on a rebound in front of Levasseur.

In an interesting, pre-game wrinkle, Rouyn-Noranda coach Andre Tourigny has inserted into the lineup previously sidelined forward Yannick Riendeau, who has been out for two weeks after an apparent appendectomy. Riendeau, the Huskies’ best player all season and leading scorer in the playoffs, had missed five games after his surgery.

For the Lewiston Maineiacs (who lead the series, 2-0), Chris Tutalo, Patrick Cusack and Michael Ward will sit.

Starting lineups for the teams are as follows: Lewiston: G, Jonathan Bernier; D, Sebastien Piche; D, Michal Korenko; F, Marc-Andre Cliche; F, Pierre-Luc Faubert; F, David Perron. For Rouyn-Noranda: G, Jean-Philippe Levasseur; D, Ivan Vishnevskiy; D, Marc-Andre Bourdon; F, Jeff Desjardins; F, David Buc; F, Yannick Riendeau.

In other playoff action, Cape Breton is tied with Val d’Or, 4-4, in the third period. The series is knotted at 1-1.

The Maineiacs arrived in Rouyn-Noranda yesterday after a six-hour bus ride and a chartered plane ride to this town seven hours north of Montreal.

Lewiston won Game 1, 4-1, behind strong performances from David Perron and Pierre-Luc Faubert. The Maineiacs again rode Faubert to victory in Game 2, as the forward netted a hat trick en route to a 7-4 win.