MONCTON, New Brunswick — Lewiston’s so-called grinders had waited long enough.

With only three goals scored in the first two games of the Maineiacs’ best-of-seven series against Moncton, someone had to figure out a way to beat Moncton rookie keeper Brandon Thibeau.

Alex Zafiris and Cameron Critchlow, step right up.

Critchlow tipped a Sam Carrier shot past Thibeau early in the second period and Zafiris pounded home a rebound at the left post on a power play late in the middle frame — the game-winner — to lead the Maineiacs to a 4-2 win over Moncton in Game 3 of the playoffs in front of 3,806 at the Moncton Coliseum.

“I thought our defense played well, our penalty-killing was outstanding,” Lewiston coach J.F. Houle said. “Nick Champion made some real good saves and we got two power play goals tonight, which is a plus for us.”

Zafiris and Critchlow have both played a more defensive role for the Maineiacs this season.

“In the first, there were a lot of PKs, and we were on a lot, and we just kept the momentum going from there,” Zafiris said. “We’re more of a shut-down line, we play against their big line and try to keep them off the scoresheet, but tonight we had a few chances and we took advantage of them.”

But Tuesday, the pair, along with linemate Sam Henley, was center stage, even earning some power play time late in the second period, which ultimately produced Zafiris’ game-winner.

“That line was really good for us tonight, I thought they were our best line,” Houle said. “They even got the power play goal, they got the time on the power play because they were working hard. They deserved it, and sometimes you have to throw a little bone to your hard-working line.”

“I guess the power play wasn’t working, so they decided to give us a chance,” Zafiris said.

Nick Champion made 24 saves on 26 shots for his second consecutive win in the playoffs.

The Wildcats got the home crowd into it early. A good spell of pressure in the Lewiston zone created the chance for the home team to take a 1-0 lead, though it was a goal Champion would have wanted back. With the puck wrapped to the hashmarks along the right wall, Daniel Pettersson grabbed it and turned back toward the goal line. Nearly at the end line, he rifled the puck toward the cage, where it smacked an unsuspecting Champion in the skate and ricocheted into the goal.

“It might have been a bit weak, but we’re resilient,” Houle said. “I think we bounced back after that. After the goal, I think we took the momentum back. We didn’t let them get the momentum there.”

Lewiston took advantage of a rare 5-on-3 power play to even things up. With the puck bouncing around behind the net, Etienne Brodeur tipped it to Michael Chaput, who found Sam Carrier cheating in at the left circle. Chaput’s pass from the left corner hit Carrier in stride, and the defenseman blasted the puck past Thibeau to knot the game.

The teams barely skated 5-on-5 in the first, with Moncton enjoying five power plays and Lewiston skating three times on the man advantage, making the play choppy and at times disjointed.

“It’s tough, and it’s momentum-changing,” Houle said. “And when you don’t score on your power play, sometimes the other team gets a lift from that.”

The Maineiacs took their first lead  just 2:15 into the second when Critchlow got his stick on a shot from Carrier between the hashmarks. The puck changed directions and skittered into the cage past Thibeau.

Pettersson’s second of the night, a highlight reel shorthanded rush through Carrier and Champion, evened things up briefly, but Zafiris made the most of his power play shift, banging home a rebound at the left post to again put the visitors in front by a goal.

“Bissonnette rimmed it, I got to the puck and took a hit,” Zafiris said. “I got up and it was just sitting there.”

Chaput capped a tight-checking and defensive third period with a beauty, taking a drop pass from Stefan Fournier just inside the blue line, slipping through a Moncton defender with a toe-drag and roofing a wrister past Thibeau with 2:49 to play.

The same two teams will meet in Game 4 in Moncton on Wednesday at 6 p.m.