LEWISTON – The beauty of junior hockey is its air of unpredictability. No one ever knows which version of a particular team will show up to play, especially in the early stages of the season.

For all of the goals scored, checks thrown and shots taken, nothing can be taken for granted.

Well, almost nothing.

The Moncton Wildcats roll into town this weekend to face the Lewiston Maineiacs, the first of two meetings in Lewiston this season between the former Atlantic Division rivals. Given the teams’ history, there is little reason to expect anything but a close game.

“They’re a hard-working group,” Maineiacs’ coach Ed Harding said of Moncton. “They’re undefeated right now, and we’ve had a great rivalry with them in the last couple of years. We’re familiar with them, as they’re familiar with us.”

Familiarity, apparently, breeds close, tight-checking, physical hockey.

In 24 regular-season games since the start of the 2005-06 season, the Maineiacs and Wildcats have battled in 15 games decided by one goal (empty-netters notwithstanding), and seven of those have gone to a shootout. The Maineiacs lead in those one-goal games, nine wins to six, and have won four of the seven shootouts between the two teams.

“Every year is different,” Harding said, “but with Moncton, you expect a tight, one-goal game.”

Last year, seven of the teams’ eight meetings were decided by one goal, with the Maineiacs prevailing three times in shootouts. The one game last season that wasn’t a one-goal outcome was a 3-1 Moncton win in Lewiston.

Victoriaville follows up Moncton’s visit with a Sunday matinee appearance at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. The Tigres defeated the Maineiacs twice in the preseason, and are new divisional foes in the Telus Central.

“Any division game is a big game,” Harding said. “If you won all of your divisional games, and lost all of the other ones, you’d still be in good shape. Those are very important games.”

The Maineiacs are bringing in some reinforcements for this weekend’s games, too. Having played without a full squad in each of its first four regular-season contests, Lewiston will be one player short of full-strength this weekend as it welcomes back Danick Paquette (Atlanta Thrashers’ camp), Peter Delmas (Colorado Avalanche) and Denis Reul (Boston.

According to Harding, the New York Islanders are expected to send sniper Max Gratchev back to Lewiston “sometime this weekend,” and he may be back in time for Sunday’s game.

Moncton, meanwhile, has started the season quickly, rising to 4-0 in two weekends of play, largely thanks to the play of goaltender Nicola Riopel, whose personal record matches the team’s.

Scott Brannon and Ted Stephens lead the Wildcats’ offense with five goals and eight points each, while Matt Eagles has five helpers and seven points in four games.

Marc Bourgeois and Lucas Labelle lead the Maineiacs with three goals each, while Billy Lacasse has both game-winners for Lewiston and is a plus-3.

The puck drops at the Colisee on Friday at 7 p.m., and again Sunday at 4 p.m.