LEWISTON — The power play looked better, and the Lewiston Maineiacs easily won the puck possession and faceoff battles. They tested Acadie-Bathurst rookie Robert Steeves with a variety of shots from all angles — tips and deflections included.

They just couldn’t find the back of the net.

The Titan, led by former Maineiac Sebastien Trudeau, did, and earned a 3-1 victory in front of 1,748 people at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Friday, the first of a pair of games between the two teams this weekend.

“At the end, they blocked a lot of shots, but I thought we controlled the puck and along the boards, in the second period especially,” Maineiacs’ coach J.F. Houle said. “We just couldn’t find the back of the net. (Steeves) made the saves, and they played a good road game. But we need to find a way to put the puck in the net, no matter how. Bottom line, we didn’t win tonight.”

Steeves, meanwhile, completed an improbable comeback of his own, just by suiting up in the game Friday.

“He’s a great story,” Titan coach Ron Choules said. “Here’s a kid who’s battled through surgeries and therapy just to be able to play again. he forced my hand in terms of playing. He works so hard in practice, he earned his chance.”

Steeves was solid, particularly in the second period, during which the Maineiacs outshot Acadie-Bathurst, 14-5.

Trudeau was also on his game Friday. After skating for Lewiston for half of last season, the Maineiacs sent Trudeau to the Titan along with Luke Dillman for Cameron Critchlow and Jess Tanguy.

Trudeau had two goals and was the best forward on the ice for Bathurst on Friday.

“Any time you come back, and you get the chance to play in front of people you know, you give it that little extra,” Choules said. “It’s close enough to Montreal here. I’m sure he has friends and family here, and he had a good night.”

After a cheerful presentation to the area YWCA in support of its effort to remain open, the Lewiston Maineiacs’ moods dampened a bit on the game’s second shift. At the tail end of the top unit’s first foray onto the ice, Matthew Bissonnette took what appeared to be an innocent hit into the far boards. He immediately left the ice and did not return.

“Right now, we know he’s out for a while,” Houle said.

Houle did not disclose the exact nature of the injury, but according to a source with knowledge of the situation, Bissonnette has a broken bone and will miss at least six weeks.

Later in the period, the fans had something positive to react to as Sam Carrier, in his first game back from Washington Capitals’ camp, registered his first goal of the season on the back door after a long rebound on a Maineiacs’ power play.

The Titan regrouped in the second, and despite managing just four shots at Champion, netted a pair to jump in front, 2-1. Former Lewiston forward Sebastien Trudeau got the first as he batted a puck out of the air at the right post and into the cage. Jonathan Lessard added the visitors’ second, a snipe from the right circle that beat Champion over his glove hand on the short side.

Trudeau added his second of the night in the third to put the visitors on top by two.

With still better than three minutes remaining in the game, Houle pulled his goalie for an extra skater. Despite a barrage of shots, most of which the Titan blocked, and constant offensive-zone pressure, the Maineiacs couldn’t solve Steeves.

The same two teams will battle it out again Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Colisee.