The Lewiston Maineiacs are in unfamiliar territory in this year’s QMJHL playoffs.

For the first time, the Maineiacs are down 0-2, as they head back to the Colisee after dropping Game 3 of the best-of-seven QMJHL semifinal to the Saint John Sea Dogs, 4-1, in front of 5,135 at Harbour Station.

Saint John held a 1-0 lead as Michael Kirkpatrick fired a shot from the left circle by Maineiacs’ goalie Nicholas Champion.

The second period was a disastrous period for the Maineiacs as Saint John scored three goals on the power play after Olivier Dame-Malka was whistled for a hitting Jonathan Huberdeau from behind eight minutes into the period.

At 9:50, Stanislav Galiev snapped a shot from the bottom of the left circle, beating Champion to extend the lead, 2-0, for the Sea Dogs. Kirkpatrick and former UMaine recruit Kevin Gagne picking up the assists.

Just 18 seconds later, Kevin Gagne ripped a shot from the left side past Champion to give Saint John a commanding 3-0 lead.

Champion’s night would come to end about two minutes later as Huberdeau scored his league-leading 11th goal of the playoffs, finding the rebound and shoveling by the Maineiac’ netminder.

Champion, who finished with 28 saves on the night, was replaced by Andrey Makarov, who stopped all 13 shots he faced in relief.

Kirill Kabanov finally got the Maineiacs on the board midway into the third period when he batted a backhand by Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault, cutting into the Sea Dogs lead, 4-1.

Corbeil-Theriault finished the night with 24 saves, allowing only one goal in the series, since coming in relief in Game 1.