Lewiston Maineiacs’ coach Ed Harding was worried about Saturday night’s game all week.

He had every reason to be.

One night after pulling out an emotional 4-3 shootout win, the Maineiacs dug themselves a four-goal hole and never fully recovered as the PEI Rocket skated to a 4-3 win over Lewiston in front of 2,296 at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

The loss is just the Maineiacs’ third in regulation in their last 11 games, and drops them to 30-20-3-2 (65 points). Lewiston could have picked up ground on two teams ahead of it in the Eastern Division with a win, as Halifax and Saint John both lost. Cape Breton won, though, leaving the Maineiacs three points out of third place with 15 games to play.

“We had seven odd-man rushes against us tonight,” Maineiacs’ head coach Ed Harding said. “We usually don’t give up seven in seven games. Granted in the third we gave up three, but that’s because we were pressing, trying to tie the game up.”

After a pair of emotional overtime games, Lewiston came out sluggish Saturday, and the Rocket took full advantage. Matthew Lachaine scored his 19th of the year just 1:55 into the game, and Jeremiah Coon-Come notched his first goal of the season at 5:55 to put the home team ahead 2-0.

“This is where we have to step in as a coaching staff for (today),” Harding said. “I thought the boys were ready to play tonight. I guarantee they will be ready to play (today).”

The Maineiacs’ power play woes continued in the first. They earned four power plays to the Rocket’s none in the opening frame, and went 0-for-4.

“We’re 1-for-17 on this trip,” Harding said. “That’s at a great clip of six percent. We have to keep it simple.”

Things didn’t get any better in the second, though the Maineiacs did finally get on the board.

Mathieu Tousignant and Lucas McKinley gave PEI a seemingly insurmountable 4-0 lead with a pair of goals in the first 13 minutes of the second.

But Lewiston fought back, thanks to Chris Tutalo. The 20-year-old sniper potted an unassisted goal at 14:14 to get his team on the board. He then scored the Maineiacs’ first power play goal in almost two weeks a short time later to close the gap to 4-2.

“One thing I can say about this team, they don’t give up,” Harding said.

Stefano Giliati netted his 34th of the season to make things interesting in the third, but the Rocket stifled the Maineiacs the rest of the way, allowing just seven total shots on goal in the final frame to preserve the lead.

“What killed us in the third, too, were three penalties we took in that period,” Harding said. “That thwarted our efforts to tie the game.”

Lewiston next plays today at 4 p.m., again against the Rocket in Charlottetown.