TROIS-RIVIERES, QC – The Maine Mariners, proud affiliates of the NHL’s Boston Bruins and AHL’s Providence Bruins, edged out the Trois-Rivieres Lions 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Colisee Videotron in the third consecutive one-goal game between the two teams. Robert Cronin and Antonio Venuto scored in the second period to flip the game.
Repeating the opening period of Friday night, it was the Lions finding the only goal of the opening period. Right off an offensive zone faceoff at 8:27, Joe Dunlap got loose in front and lifted a backhander over Brad Arvanitis for the 1-0 Trois-Rivieres lead.
As the second period began 4-on-4, the Mariners quickly tied it up on Robert Cronin’s 16th goal of the season. Entering the zone and taking a feed from Jacob Perreault, Cronin’s wrister beat the glove of Hunter Jones to even the score. The middle frame was full of penalties, with each team receiving three power play chances, but the respective penalty kills held strong. As the period wound down, Maine grabbed their first lead at 17:28. After Jones stopped Max Andreev’s backhand in front, Antonio Venuto dribbled the rebound into the back of the net, giving the Mariners the 2-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Both teams had a goal disallowed in the third period. Anthony Beauregard was deemed to have kicked a puck into the net early in the period, preserving the Mariners’ one-goal lead. Later in the period, Jacob Hudson’s shorthanded bid was washed out when Max Andreev was assessed a crosschecking penalty on the same play. The Mariners killed two more penalties in the third, extending their PK streak to 30 in a row, as they held on for the 2-1 win. Brad Arvanitis stopped 25 of 26 to earn his 21st victory of the season.