LEWISTON — If there was any rust from a nine-day layoff between the regular season and playoffs, the L/A Nordiques didn’t show it during the opening game of the NA3HL Coastal Division semifinals against the Long Beach Sharks.

Sergei Anisimov tallied four goals and an assist to lead the Nordiques to a 13-0 victory in front of 746 fans at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Friday

“We had a lot of the shots in the first period, but (Sharks) goalie (Darren Nathan) had some good stops for them, but we carried the play,” L/A Nordiques coach Cam Robichaud said. “We brought our skating game. That was the kind of the message all week.”

JP Chauvin had six assists to lead all Nordiques in points, while his defensive partner Cole Ouellette had a goal and four assists. Joshua Sanchez scored two goals and dished out two assists. Andrew Ghimpeteanu made 17 saves for the shutout.

“Coach gave us a game plan to get on them hard right from the get-go,” Sanchez said. “I thought we listened to coach real well. We executed the way we wanted to.”

The Nordiques dominated the first half of the first period, controlling possession of the puck for most of the first 10 minutes. They finally broke thru at the 7:43 mark when Rykov tipped in an Andrew McCormick shot from the point. Sanchez also had an assist on the goal.

Nathan did everything in his power to keep the game 1-0 for the remainder of the first period. He almost did, but lost sight of the puck in the closing seconds and a Zack Mullen shot slipped through with 1.8 seconds remaining. Rykov had an assist on the goal.

The momentum continued early in the second period as Mullin found Ouellette in the slot who made it 3-0 only 55 seconds into the frame. Barely 30 seconds later, Ouellette assisted on an Anisimov goal.

Hans Watson stretched the lead to 5-0 when he raced in from his defensive position and Sanchez found him in the high slot at the 9:46 mark.

The Nordiques’ next two goals came on a 4-on-4 situation after Teddy Valenti of Long Beach and Josh Malone of the Nordiques went off at the 17:05 mark for delay of game calls.

Former Lewiston High School standout Alex Rivet, who has been practicing with the team the past week and signed a NAHL tender with the Maine Nordiques on Thursday, stretched the lead to 6-0 at the 17:25 mark. Rivet’s former Lewiston teammate Joe Bisson had the primary assist.

“Rivet brought a physical element to that line he played tonight and it was nice to see,” Robichaud said. “He’s tough in front of the net. Sam Frechette was great, hunting down pucks and creating space for his linemates.”

Ouellette set up Josh Sanchez’s goal at the 18:46 mark.

The Sharks made a goaltending change after the second period. Darren Nathan made 35 saves on 42 chances. His backup, Ryan Cortez, made 21 saves in the third period.

Anisimov completed a hat trick with two goals in the first minute of the third period, scoring 20 seconds in on the Nordiques’ lone power play of the game, and then again at the 46-second mark to push the lead to 9-0.

“The first period, I didn’t think was his best, and I didn’t think he was engaged as he should have been,” Robichaud said. “He stepped it up in the second and he started working and getting his big frame to the net, he started to put pucks to the net with four goals and (one) assist.”

Bisson added the Nordiques’ 10th goal at the 1:54 mark.

Anisimov potted his fourth goal of the game at the 5:32 mark.

Sanchez made it 12-0 when he undressed the Sharks defenders and Cortez with 2:53 remaining in the game.

“I was trying to read the defenders out there,” Sanchez said. “I am playing hockey the way that I want to play.”

Sanchez assisted on Colby Audette’s goal, which made it 13-0.

Game 2 is Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Colisee.

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