With two games left, Lewiston could finish as high as third or as low as 12th.
LEWISTON – Fans expecting an all-out war on Friday night when the Maineiacs take on Baie-Comeau at the Colisee may be a bit disappointed.
With both teams jockeying for playoff position, and with Baie-Comeau clinging to the 13th and final playoff spot, both the Drakkar and the Maineiacs are aware of how serious the game is, and what its consequences will be.
“We have to play hard, but we have to play smart,” Maineiacs coach Mario Durocher said. “The last few games I talked with all of the players about the penalties we have been taking. I talked to those players that have been suspended in front of the rest of the team, and saying we cannot afford to take those penalties at this time of year.”
Because of various match penalties handed out in recent games, Sheldon Wenzel and Richard Stehlik will miss the rest of the regular season, while Vladislav Balaz will sit out on Friday thanks to a spearing call on Tuesday.
Among those left on the bench, Bobby Gates will likely miss the rest of the regular season with a concussion, the symptoms lingering after a hit he took last week.
“This is the time of year where everyone, on all of the teams, is playing hurt,” Durocher said. “I think all of our defensemen except (Chad) Denny have something wrong with them that is minor. Actually, if there were fewer injuries, I might think the guys weren’t working hard enough. You see this on every team.”
The team is teetering on whether or not to call up Maxime Brunet for the weekend’s games to fill the void on defense.
As for Wenzel being out for Baie-Comeau, the Drakkar will also be without their two penalty-minute leaders, as Ryan Hand and Pierre-Luc Leblond-Letourneau will also be out of the lineup. What does that leave? According to Durocher, plenty of open ice for Lewiston to display its speed.
“We have to use our speed,” Durocher said. “That is our advantage. We have to send the puck deep and chase after it hard, establish the forecheck and play well in transition.”
On Sunday, the Maineiacs finish the regular season on the road with a trip to Victoriaville. Ironically, the Tigres are tied with the Drakkar in the general standings, each having a record of 20-41-5-2, and Lewiston could very well play a hand in which team makes the playoffs.
“I think Baie-Comeau has the edge right now, but they will both be battling hard this weekend,” Durocher said. “But we have to look at the fact that if we lose both games, we can finish in 12th place, and if we win we can be in seventh, so there is still a lot to play for. Victoriaville, they will be in a survival game. If they lose, they will go home for the year, so it will be a very tough game, too.”
Playoff pairings will be announced on Monday after the final games of the season are played Sunday night. Currently, Lewiston has 68 points while Rimouski leads the division with 72. Chicoutimi and Rouyn-Noranda are tied with 71 each.
Should the Maineiacs jump over Chicoutimi and Noranda to finish seventh or eighth, they would host a first-round playoff series at the Colisee beginning on March 19. If Lewiston finishes lower than eighth, the first two games of the series are on the road.
There is still an outside chance that Lewiston could finish in third by winning its division. Should Rimouski lose its last two games and Chicoutimi get just one point in its final two, and should the Maineiacs sweep their final two games, all three teams would be tied at 72. Lewiston would hold tiebreakers over both teams with their number of overall wins on the season.
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