For 40 minutes, the Lewiston Maineiacs were world-beaters.

For 20 minutes, they hung on, watching a three-goal lead nearly evaporate before pulling the plug on the Quebec Remparts’ comeback attempt.

Lewiston goalie Nick Champion stopped shot after shot in the third period, many while extending hard from side to side, and a furious Quebec rally fell just short as the Maineiacs extended their win streak to nine games with a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Remparts on Friday.

“We played awesome for 40 minutes,” Maineiacs’ coach J.F. Houle said. “Nick saved the game there in the last period. We kind of fell apart a little bit, we were back on our heels, and Quebec is a good team. They turned on the jets and started to come back. But Champion made all the key saves.”

A seemingly comfortable three-goal advantage nearly disappeared in the third frame.

Ryan Bourque and Mirko Hoefflin beat Champion 32 seconds apart just shy of the 10-minute mark to pull the home team to within a goal and, more importantly for the Remparts, they pulled the partisan crowd of 10,202 back into the game.

“They started to pick up the momentum, the crowd started getting into it, we started to make bad plays and we didn’t stay really composed,” Houle said. “I think our players are going to learn from this.”

Quebec continued to launch shots at Champion — 16 in all in the third period alone — and the 20-year-old keeper was equal to the task.

On the offensive side of things, Kirill Kabanov is starting to heat up. In his fourth game with Lewiston since the Maineiacs acquired the talented Russian from Moncton, he collected a pair of assists and added his first goal of the year to earn first star honors on Tuesday.

“You could see him out there really moving his feet, he created a lot of chances,” Houle said. “This was his best game so far.”

Etienne Brodeur, who has yet to cool down during a blazing beginning of the season, netted another pair to bring his season total to 23, including the game-winner midway through the second period.

“He was in around the net tonight, and he was hungry,” Houle said. “He still found a way to score.”

Sam Carrier also scored for Lewiston, which climbed to within two points of Quebec for the division lead.

A pair of bounces and some suspect goaltending went the way of the Maineiacs in the opening frame, and the visitors silenced the large, partisan crowd.

Brodeur netted his 22nd goal of the season and extended his point streak to nine games just 4:34 in, and just two seconds after a power play expired, as he poked the puck past Quebec starter Jimmy Appleby on a funky hop.

Quebec players protested, but officials pointed adamantly at the back of the net to signal the goal, the red light went on, and there was no review.

A strange hop off the end boards after and Alex Zafiris shot set up the Maineiacs’ second goal of the night, a blast from Carrier, a former Quebec defenseman.

Quebec coach Patrick Roy, who yanked Domingue early in a win over Gatineau on Thursday, applied the quick hook again Friday, pulling Appleby in favor of Domingue after Lewiston’s second score.

The move appeared to work at first. The Remparts gained some momentum at the end of the first frame and, on the power play to begin the second, pulled to within one after Frederick Roy poked the puck over the line after Champion felt he’d covered it.

Undetered, the Maineiacs fought back. Kabanov notched his goal on a rebound after a Francis Beauvillier steal and rush.

Brodeur ran the Lewiston lead to 4-1 when Brodeur netted No. 23 on the season at 9:37 with the younger Roy in the box for roughing.

The Maineiacs continue their road trip in Shawinigan on Saturday in a 4 p.m. matinee contest against the Cataractes, and will skate in a rematch with the Remparts on Sunday, also at 4 p.m.