LEWISTON – Marc Bourgeois is going home, and he’s taking 23 other players with him.

The Lewiston Maineiacs’ rookie netted his first playoff goal, fought for the second time in as many games and infused a measure of hustle into the team’s lineup that had been missing, leading the Maineiacs to a 5-2 win over Cape Breton in Game 5 of the teams’ first-round playoff series on Friday.

“We’ve got some competitive kids in there, and obviously we have some kids with some pride,” Maineiacs’ coach Ed Harding said. “I couldn’t be more happy for them, and thrilled with the effort they put in.”

More than 2,100 spectators saw the Maineiacs win for the second time in three games on home ice, and potentially for the final time. Lewiston still trails in the series, 3-2, with Games 6 and 7, if necessary, set for Monday and Tuesday in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

“We’re going to be a lot more comfortable at home,” Cape Breton coach Pascal Vincent said.

But for now, the Maineiacs can revel in the fact that their season is still alive.

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it’s a lot easier taking it game by game and even period by period than thinking about it like we have to win three in a row,” forward Stefano Giliati said.”

Bourgeois, meanwhile, was a scratch in Game 4. When Danick Paquette was tossed from the game for kicking Cape Breton goalie Olivier Roy, Harding looked down his bench to fill the spot on the top line with Stefan Chaput and Giliati.

“It was more by committee, really,” Harding said. “A lot of players saw some time up there.”

He fit right in.

“He’s a feisty kid,” Harding said. “He’ll go right in front of the net, and he’s smart, too. He’ll follow (Chaput and Giliati’s) lead a little bit.”

Four other Maineiacs – Jakub Bundil, Giliati, Matt Bourdeau and Alex Beaton – also scored, and Jonathan Bernier was his usual, spectacular self throughout, making 31 saves to earn the victory.

Both of Cape Breton’s goals came on the power play, one each in the first and third periods.

Lewiston’s power play, though better on the surface, still failed to generate a goal, and the Maineiacs are now 0-for-24 with an extra skater in this year’s playoffs.

“We still have to be better,” Harding said, beginning to sound like a dusty record. “We’re not ggoing to keep having success if we can’t put the puck away on the power play.”

Lewiston used a rather soft, short-handed tally by Jakub Bundil to take a 2-1 lead in the second, and never looked back.

Bourgeois’ goal at 17:49 of the second, on a rebound in front, gave the Maineiacs their first two-goal lead since Game 3.

Bourdeau earned his goal on a fluke play. Lucas Labelle coralled the puck off the referee and fed the puck in front to Bourdeau, who could have walked the puck into the net as Roy was crossed up on the deflection.

Chris Culligan made the game interesting later in the third on the power play, but Beaton sealed it with a long, short-handed empty-netter.

Lewiston leaves for Sydney on Saturday, and will break the trip into pieces this time. Game 6 is set for 6 p.m. on Monday.