LEWISTON – Lewiston Maineiacs skaters gathered at the blue line late during Friday morning’s practice. Assistant coach Jeff Guay had the group’s attention as he skated around some go-kart tires he used to represent opposing players.

“This is what Cape Breton tends to do on the power play,” Guay explained, pointing to different points on the ice. “We have to be aware of that this weekend.”

More than any weekend in the last couple of months, this weekend’s two-game set against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (today, 7 p.m. and Sunday, 4 p.m.) represents the biggest two-game set to date this season.

“I love these back-to-back games,” Maineiacs’ head coach Ed Harding said. “It’s all about competition, who’s the better team. We’re looking forward to this series, as is Cape Breton, I’m sure.”

Lewiston, with a point in a shootout loss Thursday night against Telus Division-leading Gatineau, sits fourth in the Eastern Division with 47 points. Halifax is three ahead of Lewiston with 50, and Cape Breton sits in second with 52. A pair of Lewiston wins would dramatically tighten the divisional race.

“They’re a well-balanced team, they’re well coached and they play their positions well,” Harding said. “Our guys are going to have to be up to the task.”

The Maineiacs have played well in their two previous losses – one to Gatineau in overtime and one on the road to Acadie-Bathurst.

“Any time you hold a a team to just 21 shots and you shut them out on their power play, that’s a good game,” Harding said. “We just have to continue to play the same way.”

The Maineiacs’ play was a quick turnaround after a pair of sub-par efforts coming off the holiday break. The team looked like it was still on vacation against Moncton on Dec. 27, and played about half of a game in a loss to Saint John two nights later.

“That’s why I’m looking forward to this weekend,” Harding said. “We’ve addressed that, it’s ancient history. Now, this weekend, we have two important games, two divisional games against a team ahead of us in the standings.”

Cape Breton poses a surprising challenge in net. The Eagles’ youngster, Olivier Bellavance-Roy, may or may not be back for the weekend after representing Team Quebec at the Under-17 tournament, but they also have import player Marek Benda. In his first season in the QMJHL, Benda has posted a 6-8 record with a 3.60 GAA.

On the Lewiston side, Peter Delmas has been good, but Harding is still looking for more from his 17-year-old.

“We’re looking for more consistency in the net, that’s no secret,” Harding said. “But that’s going to come. We’re working on that every day in practice. I’m pretty happy with the way our guys are playing.”

Bernier, Marshall staying put

With the league’s trade period coming to an end in three days, there has been plenty of speculation about what the Maineiacs might do.

Most of the talks have centered around goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who at 19 is likely playing his final months as a junior hockey player.

Those talks can stop now.

“If we’re a business, it’s like the Celtics when they had Bird, McHale and Parrish,” Harding said. “Maybe at that point they should have moved them, and they didn’t, and that might have hurt their franchise for a while, but we’ve made the decision. Jonathan Bernier’s our goaltender. Jonathan Bernier is going to be a Lewiston Maineiac until he’s done playing major junior hockey, and that should be in about three months.”

Asked, also, about Kevin Marshall, Harding had the same reply.

“Kevin Marshall is going nowhere,” Harding added.

Looking at the team’s needs, Harding conceded that if the team is looking at anything at all, it might be for a scoring forward.

But it would have to be a bargain.

“If we’re going to go after a bona fide goal-scorer, what are we willing to give up?” Harding asked rhetorically. “Do we want to give up the young guys, do we want to give up the draft picks? We don’t want to do that. We’re looking at different options, and if there’s something we like, then we’ll make a move on it.”