LEWISTON — Flat.
Describing a team playing in its second of four road games in five nights, perhaps “flat” sounds about right.
But for team playing at home? For the fourth time in five games over the course of 10 days?
For the third consecutive game against Acadie-Bathurst and for the fifth game in a row, the Lewiston Maineiacs started slowly. This time, there was no recovery.
Olivier Labelle had a goal and an assist and Gabriel Bouthillette stopped all 30 shots he faced to earn the shutout as the Titan shut the Maineiacs down 4-0 in front of 2,590 at the Colisee.
“Our outlet passes weren’t good enough,” said Maineiacs’ assistant coach Ed Harding. “They weren’t on the forwards’ tape and when we went in between the first and second period, that’s exactly what (Maineiacs’ head coach) Clem (Jodoin) had said about the whole team. We were a step behind. I think mentally, we were not very sharp, either.”
The win gives the Titan retribution for a 4-1 loss to Lewiston on Friday night, during which Lewiston held Acadie-Bathurst scoreless on the power play. Saturday, all four Titan goals came with an extra skater, and it was Lewiston that faltered, going 0-for-11.
“It was like two different games,” Harding said, comparing Saturday’s game to Friday’s. “They didn’t score last night on their PP and we won, and now they converted, so it’s big. If we convert at 2-0 on one of our chances and make it 2-1, it’s a whole different game.”
“I think today we were a little bit more patient,” said Durocher. “Last night we forechecked with two guys, today we forechecked with one. We try to do the same thing that they do, be more patient.”
Bathurst struck first in the opening period with the only goal of the frame on a Mathieu Roy redirection on the power play. Olivier Labelle picked up one assist, with the other going to a visibly hobbled Petr Pohl, who barely put pressure on his right leg all night.
His status didn’t matter by the end of the period, anyway. At 19:33, with the teams skating 4-on-4, Pohl took a two-handed swipe at Maineiacs’ defenseman Jonathan Paiement away from the play in the neutral zone.
Pohl was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
Paiement returned in the second and played regular shifts throughout the rest of the game.
“I’ve seen it a lot in this league, people whacking other skaters in the back, where you don’t have protection. It’s a gutless act,” said Harding. “If you feel like you were taken advantage of by another player, face them up. It’s not just them or other teams. I’ve seen some of our guys do it, and if they do, I say something.”
“I’m going to lose Petr Pohl for a game for that,” countered Durocher. “I’m going to send the tape to the league for that. He was faking. I am disappointed in Jonathan. We heard the noise of the pad and the ref, we all know who called that. I think that (ticked) off everybody on our team, and we just bounced back and played harder and harder and harder.”
Similar to their recent games, the Maineiacs started slowly. The Titan had a 9-0 edge in shots on goal just five minutes into the game, and finished the period with a 20-9 lead in that column on the scoresheet.
“It’s a mental thing, too,” said Harding. “I think the first six minutes or so in the game we weren’t prepared. we were slow getting into the faceoffs and guys were slow jumping on the ice from the bench. It’s tough to put your finger on it, but it’s stuff we need to address.”
It didn’t get much easier for Lewiston goaltender Jonathan Bernier in the second, as he saw 14 more Bathurst chances, including several from close range. One of those, a tip off the stick of Labelle, put the Titan ahead 2-0.
“I think this was one of our best games,” said Durocher. “I think yesterday we had just got two guys back, (Mathieu) Roy and (Mathieu) Perreault and the timing was not there. Tonight, it was a little better and I think it’s going to be better tomorrow.”
The Titan pulled away in the third on goals from Thomas Beauregard and newly-acquired Mathieu Curadeau.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
