Winning a game and then losing a game has resulted in a record right around the .500 mark with the Rebels on the outside of a North American Hockey League playoff spot.

But four straight wins have head coach Joe Coombs optimistic.

Now he’s just hoping it isn’t coming too late.

Jamestown’s latest victory came Wednesday night with a third-period blitz to beat the Johnstown Tomahawks 4-1 at Northwest Arena.

Jamestown Rebels’ John Lundy settles the puck before scoring on a breakaway during Wednesday’s NAHL East Division game against the Johnstown Tomahawks at Northwest Arena. P-J photo by Scott Reagle

Jak Vaarwerk had a goal and an assist, Lucas Klemm had two assists and Nolan Suggs made 40 saves as the Rebels (28-21-2-1) moved into a tie for fourth place in the East Division.

“We have to play a certain way. … At the end of the game it might be 5 or 6-1, but for a period or two it’s 1-1 or 2-1,” Coombs said. “You just wear people out and keep doing the right thing … and when you get the opportunity you make the most of it. … Quite honestly, the last three games we’ve been the closest (to playing that way) that we’ve been all year long.”

Jamestown found itself locked in a 1-1 tie entering the third period and was awarded a power play when Johnstown’s Frank Jenkins took a penalty for hooking midway through the frame. With just one second remaining on the ensuing man-advantage, Vaarwerk took a drop pass from Klemm just inside the Tomahawks’ blue line, curled the puck away from a defender as he skated toward the center of the ice, and then unleashed a wrist shot to beat Johnstown goaltender Matthew O’Donnell high over his glove hand for his 16th goal of the season giving Jamestown a 2-1 lead.

The Tomahawks (27-17-4-2) immediately pressured the Rebels at the other end of the ice, and chaos ensued as a result of a broken Jamestown stick, but with Suggs down and out of the play, Johnstown fired a shot high over the net.

With under five minutes remaining, the Rebels took a two-goal lead when Klemm made a lengthy stretch pass up the ice to Max Hamstad, who skated in toward the Johnstown goal on his off-wing and beat O’Donnell across the grain toward his blocker side with his 12th goal of the season to make it 3-1.

Jamestown Rebels’ Mitch Lafay (12) checks Johnstown Tomahawks’ Tyler DesRochers into the boards during Wednesday’s NAHL East Division game at Northwest Arena. P-J photo by Scott Reagle

“That third goal was a great neutral zone by us. They were trying to stretch us out because they were down and we just did a really good job,” Coombs said. ” … Max has been good lately. … Great shot. That’s a hard shot for a goalie to stop, far post about 14 inches off the ice.”

Vaarwerk played the role of facilitator on the final Jamestown goal as he took a pass from Ryan Waltman and skated into the zone before leaving a drop pass for Reid Lune. The 6-foot-4 forward took notes from his teammate’s goal as he also beat O’Donnell with a wrist shot to his blocker side for his fourth goal of the season.

“I thought Lune the last four or five games has been really good, but he hasn’t been getting any puck luck,” Coombs said. “He’s skating at a higher level. He’s engaged on a consistent level. … I was really happy to see him get that insurance marker for us.”

Johnstown’s Jake Black opened the scoring with his NAHL-leading 35th goal of the season 11:34 into the second period.

“I know he can score, but if you play against that team enough, there are a lot of nights where he has one or two (goals) at the end of the night, but he doesn’t do anything else,” Coombs said of Black. “I had the last change and I thought for a lot of the night I had that matchup.”

Rebels captain John Lundy scored his team-leading 26th goal unassisted less than five minutes later. After appearing to get taken down on a trip, Lundy got to his feet and pressured a Tomahawks’ player into a turnover before breaking in alone on O’Donnell, settling the puck, and tying the game at 1-all.

“He was coming to change and the play that the kid made to try and go around him … if that kid played here, he might never play again,” Coombs said. “It hit Lundy and off he went. It was a big goal.”

After sweeping the second-place Maryland Black Bears last weekend, Coombs was looking forward to giving his team a four-day break with no games this weekend. But now in the midst of a three-game winning streak, Coombs isn’t so sure a weekend off is the best thing for his young squad.

“You know as a coach that it takes time for first-year players to understand,” Coombs said. “You want them to understand Jan. 1 and they they don’t. Then you want it by Feb. 1. … You turn around and it might be too late.”

NOTES: Devries and Owen West added assists for Jamestown, which will return to action Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26 against Johnstown at Northwest Arena. Puck drop both nights is 7:05 p.m. … New Jersey leads the East Division with 74 points followed by Maryland (61), Johnstown (60), Northeast (59) and Jamestown (59).