LEWISTON – Any thoughts the Lewiston Maineiacs had of getting back into the hockey game in the third period Tuesday night died in the first five minutes.

Ahead by just a goal, Gatineau scored twice in 4:10 to begin the final frame and held on, earning a second consecutive 5-4 victory over the Maineiacs in front of 2,000 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

“I don’t feel as good after this game as I did (Monday) night,” Maineiacs’ coach Ed Harding said. “We did not do some intelligent things at times.”

The Maineiacs gave up a pair of goals in the first 3:30 of the second period, too, though both of those came on the power play.

Gatineau, the defending league champion, has now won its first three games since the Christmas break and is back above .500 for the first time in two months.

“I thought we played a much better game (Tuesday),” Gatineau coach Jerome Dupont said. “We moved the puck better and eliminated more chances.”

Lewiston falls to 13-27-0-0 on the season.

The Maineiacs drew first blood, getting another power play goal at 8:04 of the opening period to take a 1-0 lead.

Gatineau struck back at 9:30, tying things up at 1-1 on a Jean-Philip Chabot rebound goal on an Olympiques’ power play.

“We had a lot of momentum going for us, shots for, a 1-0 lead,” Harding said. “You can’t take a penalty like that in the offensive zone. We almost got it killed, but again, it was a missed assignment.”

Lewiston had the better chances the rest of the period, but couldn’t solve Gelinas again. Near the end of the period, with Danick Paquette already in the box, Max Gratchev received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for spearing, forcing the Maineiacs to begin the second frame shorthanded.

The Olympiques made them pay.

Quesnel, who’d gone down in a heap after Gratchev’s apparent spear, scored his 21st goal of the season just 20 seconds into the second to give his team a 2-1 edge.

Still on the power play, Alain Goulet fired a slapshot through traffic and through Wright’s legs to put Gatineau ahead by a pair.

Filip Janosik broke into the goals column on the scoresheet for the first time this season at 13:53 to pull his team back within one at 3-2, but the Maineiacs’ momentum died there as officials called three consecutive minors to Lewiston skaters to close out the period.

Gatineau’s two goals to begin the third came quickly, but Lewiston clawed back, getting one each from Etienne Brodeur and Eric Gelinas to make it a game late.

“I was very impressed with how we fought until the end,” Harding said. “They battled hard and we had a chance to get the goalie pulled and have a chance to tie it up.”

Lewiston plays at Quebec Saturday before returning to Lewiston for a 4 p.m. matinee against Saint John on Sunday.