LEWISTON – Thanks to a current binge on winning, the Lewiston Maineiacs are one of the hottest teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

With two wins in a row and seven in their last 10 games, the Maineiacs are right behind division rival Chicoutimi for the best record in the last 10 games. Chicoutimi is 8-1-1 while Lewiston is 7-2-1. Both of Chicoutimi’s blemishes, though, have come against the Maineiacs, a tie last week at Chicoutimi and a Maineiacs victory at the Colisee in Lewiston on Wednesday.

“This is where the games start to count more,” said Maineiacs coach Clem Jodoin. “Every game is important. Every point is a golden point.”

The Maineiacs’ wins and tie have not come against slouch teams, either. Cape Breton, Chicoutimi and Gatineau are all above the Maineiacs in the standings, while PEI, Victoriaville and Rouyn-Noranda are teams currently battling in the large pack that stretches from fifth place (Halifax, 50 points) to 15th place (Val d’Or, 34 points).

Lewiston is squarely in the middle of that pack in eighth place with the Screaming Eagles at 43 points, three back of Rimouski and five behind the Shawinigan Cataractes .

Lewiston’s longest unbeaten streak of the season was a six-game streak in October. During that stretch, Lewiston allowed 17 goals while scoring 36 and took 11 points from its opponents.

In the last 10 games, the Maineiacs have outscored their opponents 36-30, only because of a 9-2 loss against Baie-Comeau over the holidays.

Legault getting closer…

Olivier Legault is not known for his goal-scoring. He will admit that to anyone if asked. He does, however, play an important role, and his hard work and hustle in the first half of the season has nearly paid off with goals.

Still, Legault holds an inauspicious title with the Maineiacs: He is the only player on the roster that has played in at least one game and has not scored at least one goal.

Michael Lafleur and Matthew Lemire shared that notoriety with the 18-year-old forward, but both have since left the team. Jonathan Cameron and newly-acquired Sebastien Piche will join Legault on that list soon, unless either scores in his QMJHL debut.

Coaching note

Halifax completed its coaching shift this week after firing former Maine Mariners skater Shawn MacKenzie. Another former player for the Maine Mariners, Al MacAdam, is the new coach.

MacAdam played in 864 NHL games over 12 seasons with Philadelphia, California, Cleveland and Minnesota, accumulating 591 points and 509 penalty minutes. He was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers when they won the 1974 Stanley Cup.

After retiring, MacAdam coached for 11 seasons at St. Thomas University before moving into the professional coaching ranks as head coach of the St. John’s Maple Leafs for the 1997-98 season. He spent three seasons in St. John’s before moving to the NHL in 2000-01 with the Chicago Black Hawks, where he served as assistant coach until the end of last season.