The Trois-Rivières Lions (affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens) suffered a 3–2 loss Sunday at the Cross Insurance Arena against the Maine Mariners (Boston Bruins affiliate).
In the first period, the visitors opened the scoring when Mark Estapa entered the offensive zone and fired a quick shot from between the circles, beating goaltender Billy Girard. Joe Dunlap and Darick Louis-Jean picked up assists on the American forward’s fifth goal of the season.
In the second period, during four-on-four play, Charles Martin carried the puck the length of the ice and capped off a strong individual effort with his 10th goal of the season, doubling his team’s lead.
The Mariners responded before the end of the middle frame. Zach Jordan and Jacob Hudson found the back of the net against goaltender William Lavallière, sending both teams to the dressing room tied.
Then, with less than a minute remaining in the third period, Linus Hemstrom completed the comeback for the home side by scoring the game-winning goal.
Maine Mariners goaltender Billy Girard turned aside 17 of the 19 shots he faced. At the other end, Montreal native William Lavallière delivered a solid performance as well, making 33 saves on 36 shots.
The Lions will return to the Colisée Vidéotron next weekend to once again face the Mariners on Friday at 7 p.m. They will then take on the Worcester Railers (New York Islanders) in back-to-back games, Saturday at 3 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.
Tickets are available at lions3r.com or by contacting a sales representative at 819-519-1634, ext. 200.