LEWISTON — It’s been a rare game this season in which the Lewiston Maineiacs have held the advantage in the shot column and lost.

Count Sunday’s among them.

With an all-too-familiar lackluster performance that has plagued them in the best-attended home games this season, the Lewiston Maineiacs delivered just one goal as the Rimouski Oceanic, coached by former Lewiston skipper Clem Jodoin, walked over them in a 4-1 victory in front of 2,157 on hand for a Veteran’s Day salute at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

“I don’t know if it’s lowered expectations, but against Rimouski, the expectations should have been to win, and we didn’t play that way enough of the time,” Lewiston coach Don MacAdam said. “It was 3-1 going into the third, and we didn’t get to the net nearly enough. There wasn’t that sense of desperation.”

The Maineiacs generated more shots than the Oceanic, but in most cases they came from the outside. When Lewiston did exert pressure, 20-year-old keeper Matthew Dopud, who stands all of 5 feet, 9 inches, was there with the stop.

“That’s one of the most talked-about stats, but it means nothing,” Jodoin said. “It’s all about scoring chances. We pushed them outside, outside, outside all night. (Dopud) played well. We started the season doing every other game with the goalies, but finally I said, ‘OK, enough is enough. If you win, you play again.'”

On the other end of the ice, NHL draft picks Patrice Cormier (New Jersey) and Jordan Caron (Boston) played the part. Cormier finished with a goal and an assist, and Caron added a goal and a pair of helpers in the victory.

“As 19-year-olds, you have to be dominant hockey players,” Jodoin said. “They’re good leaders in the dressing room, they show the right way.”

Most of Dopud’s 40 saves were routine shots from the outside, but when he was tested, the veteran netminder came up big.

Though neither team lit the lamp in the opening frame, Lemay had a much easier period than his counterpart. The Maineiacs fired 16 shots at the Rimouski keeper, including several through screens on three power-play chances. Dopud deflected most of them with his leg pads, and swallowed the few that hit him in the chest.

The Oceanic, even at full strength, had a hard time getting shots through the Lewiston defenders. The Maineiacs blocked no fewer than eight shots in the first frame, lightening the load considerably for Lemay.

Cormier and Caron put on a show in the second. After being whistled for three minor penalties in the opening frame, Cormier took an outlet feed from Caron at the Maineiacs’ blue line, took one stride and lofted the puck toward the net. The puck eluded Lemay and found the back of the cage for a 1-0 Rimouski lead.

The teams traded goals in a 1:06 span of the second. Jakub Culek poked in a second-chance rebound at the left post at 7:28 to put his team on top by a pair. Rookie Francis Beauvillier responded for the Maineiacs at 8:34, scoring the Maineiacs’ first power-play goal in more than 186 minutes on a shot from the right circle that deflected off a defender’s stick and past Dopud.

Rimouski reclaimed its two-goal lead on a nifty set play with an extra skater. Patrick Houde passed the puck from the left half wall to Cormier in the slot, who flipped a behind-the-back pass to Caron at the right post. Caron banged the puck into the net for a 3-1 lead.

“The power play has been a pretty good weapon for us,” Jodoin said.

In the third, Rimouski netted its second soft goal as Lemay lost the puck out of his glove on a shot from the right-side circle. The puck popped into the crease, where Mathieu Loisel cashed in with his fourth of the season.

“There are goals I think Adrien would like to have back tonight for sure, but we didn’t get him any help either,” MacAdam said. “Maybe he’s just tired of giving exceptional performances and not having enough of his teammates join him. I think we need to reevaluate our expectations here.”