LEWISTON — The puck moved quickly back and forth along the point — D to D, to the half wall on the right side, back to the D and then down low in the left corner, clean, crisp passes, all landing on the players’ tape in the middle of their sticks.

“It’s looking a lot better right now,” Lewiston Maineiacs’ coach J.F. Houle said.

The power play, to which Houle was referring, did look better. It just couldn’t score.

It’s a scene that’s played out all to often at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee for the Maineiacs’ faithful: The home team, for the first time in two-and-a-half years, isn’t near the top of the league’s list of worst offenders in terms of penalty minutes, yet with more power play chances this year, its efforts have been, for the most part, futile.

“You can say what you want about the power play, but if you watched the game, we had a lot of chances (Friday),” Houle said after a tough, 3-2 loss to Shawinigan that night. “I was pretty happy with that. We were getting chances and their goalie is making big saves.”

On the other end, Shawinigan coach Eric Veilleux described his team’s effort with the extra skater as “needing improvement.” Yet Shawinigan on the night was 2-for-6, and won the game with a power-play goal late in the third period.

“That was the difference in the game,” Houle admitted. “They got two, and we got none. But I like the way it’s coming along.”

Lewiston sits in last place in terms of power play percentage league-wide, converting on just 13.2 percent of its chances. The Maineiacs had fallen to below 12 percent late in 2009, rallied to push past 14 percent in the early part of January only to fall back into the 13s recently. In their last 10 games, Lewiston is 5-for-48, just a 10.4 percent conversion rate.

“Against Drummondville, it was basically non-existent,” Houle said. “The last couple of games against Shawinigan, we’re moving the puck, getting shots. That’s new.”

Good first impression

It hasn’t taken long for newcomer Matthew Bissonette to settle into his new role with the Maineiacs.

The 17-year-old centerman, acquired in a trade with Chicoutimi at the deadline about a month ago,started with a bang, recording a pair of assists in his debut. He hasn’t slowed down, producing five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 12 contests. He’s also running the left point on the power play.

“You’re starting to see what he’s capable of,” Lewiston GM Roger Shannon said. “And remember, he’s only 17.”

Lewiston sent its first-round pick, and a third and fifth acquired from Gatineau in an trade involving Alex Beaton, to Chicoutimi for Bissonette, who had previously played for Moncton.

Tight at the top

It’s been a very long time since the top seven players atop the league’s scoring list have each been from a different squad.

Moncton, Victoriaville, Drummondville, Cape Breton, Quebec, Rouyn-Noranda and Shawinigan all have one player in the top seven. Moncton’s Nicolas Deschamps leads the way, with 31 goals and 74 points in 48 games played. Two players follow at 71, another pair at 69 and a whole host of players at 68, 67 and 66.

Lewiston’s top goal-scorer this season is Michael Chaput at 21 goals, while Pierre-Olivier Morin leads in points with 47.