The Maine Mariners went their game versus the Trois-Rivières Lions with work to do. The Mariners had a record of 7-10-2 and the Lions were 11-3-3. Maine’s held its Teddy Bear Toss that night, where the tradition here in Portland is after Maine’s first goal, the crowd throws stuffed animals onto the ice, which will be donated to both Toys for Tots and the Fire Department.
First Period
In the first period, the Mariners lead in shots on goal, 11-8. The scoring got underway at 4:12 when Johnson netted a goal, marking his 100th point in the ECHL. This marked the third time the Mariners have scored during the Teddy Bear Toss event in the first period.
When asked about this special occasion after the game, Johnson said “I didn’t really put too much emphasis on personal stats, but when something like that comes up, you know, it feels nice. And obviously, props go to my teammates. They make that all possible. So I’m grateful, and I’ll enjoy that feeling of it.”
Unfortunately, after taking an early lead, the Lions quickly responded, with a goal at 11:19 by Logan Nijhoff. The period concluded with a late goal by Beaucage, giving the Lions a 2-1 lead heading into the second. Penalties in the period included Pederson of the Mariners for tripping less than a minute in, and Jandric of the Lions, who took a tripping penalty around the 15-minute mark.
Second Period
The second period had both teams registering 20 shots on goal apiece. The Mariners started off strong, dominating possession early and keeping the puck primarily in the Lions’ zone. At 9:14, Lambert scored for the Mariners, assisted by Berger, to tie the game. However, the Lions answered quickly, with Nijhof scoring just 18 seconds later to reclaim the lead.
The period was also marked by several penalties. Deveaux went to the penalty box twice for high-sticking and fighting. Beauregard was called for interference, while Lambert was penalized for holding.
A notable event of the second were when Arvanitis made an impressive save, deflecting a puck mid-air with his stick. However, the period also saw a concerning moment when Adams-Moisan went down after a tough hit and had to be helped off the ice by his teammates.
Third Period
The third period saw the Mariners outshoot the Lions, but the Lions ultimately came out on top, winning 4-2. At 14:47, Beaucage scored for the Lions to extend their lead which would win them the game. Maine would attempt a few times to get goals, even having one under review, but unfortunately, none of them stuck and the Lions would get the W.
Penalties in the period included a slashing call against Yantsis, giving the Mariners a power play, and a holding penalty on Massicotte. Despite pulling their goalie, the Mariners were unable to capitalize on their power play with the empty net.
Summary
Despite the loss, it seems that the mood in the locker room is to just keep pushing. Johnson stated, “That was a pretty good game. You know, we were doing a lot of things right. It was definitely a good step in the right direction. Set our standard tonight. So, we didn’t get the result we wanted but guys are trying hard. You know, everyone was competing, giving it their all. So that’s just the balance sometimes, and that’s hockey. But I thought it was a good effort on our part.”
The Mariners are on the road again for a while, facing Adirondack and Worcester. They will have a long home stint after the new year.
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