LEWISTON – One of the best goalies in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pitched a shutout Friday night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

It wasn’t Peter Delmas.

Despite a solid effort from Delmas in his first game of the season, the Moncton Wildcats parlayed a pair of power-play goals, a funky ricochet and a 28-save effort from Nicola Riopel into a 3-0 win over the Lewiston Maineiacs in front of 2,527 at the Colisee.

“They weren’t prepared,” Maineiacs coach Ed Harding said. “I’ll take all the blame for how this team played tonight. I’m going to take a hard look in the mirror. I’ll address that tonight.”

The win is Riopel’s fifth in as many games this season for the Wildcats, who bear the same record (5-0) as their goalie. The shutout is Riopel’s third is as many seasons in the league.

“Any time you can come to Lewiston and win at all, it’s a good game,” Riopel said in his native French. “It’s tough enough to play here as it is just getting off the bus after a long time, but they always play us tough.”

Not that Riopel was tested all that much, though. Lewiston had a hard time in transition through center zone, and many of the 28 shots they managed came from outside of the slot and from tough angles.

“The guys did a good job in front of me,” Riopel said. “There were a couple of tough ones early in the first period, but after that, the defense played very, very well in front of me.”

The Maineiacs’ power play continued its run of futility, too. Lewiston is now 0 for 21 in three home games with an extra skater this season, and just 5 for 31 overall.

“We probably had the wrong people in the wrong situations,” Harding said. “One thing we have to work on is our killer instinct. We don’t have that right now.”

Moncton, meanwhile, took full advantage of a pair of late second-period penalties, one each to Tom Michalik and Sean Stagles on the same play.

Brandon Gormley, the No. 1 pick in this summer’s QMJHL entry draft, fired a laser past Delmas at 6:35 to put his team ahead 1-0, and Pierre-Marc Lessard followed 1:18 later on a scramble in front to give the Wildcats a 2-0 cushion.

“They out-special-teamed us tonight,” Harding said.

Daniel Pettersson also notched his first goal, this one coming early in the third to put the game out of reach.

Maineiacs’ captain Danick Paquette made his long awaited season debut, but that lasted all of 4:09. On his third shift, Paquette went to line up Moncton captain Matt Eagles. The shifty forward ducked, and the players’ knees collided. Officials assessed Paquette a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for kneeing, and also kicked Moncton’s David Savard out of the game after the lunky forward started a fight with Paquette.

“That was poor judgment,” Harding said.

When asked again, Harding added, “By the guy who makes the calls.”

Lewiston enjoyed the better of the power plays in the opening frame, too, earning four chances, including more than a minute of 5-on-3.

As has been the case at home this season, though, the Maineiacs’ were powerless with an extra skater (or two).

Delmas was only tested three times in his first action of the season with Lewiston, and turned back all three shots.