You can't win 'em all. The Bombers found that out Saturday, seeing both their 10-game winning streak and 17-game point streak sacrificed to Melfort in a 3-0 loss.
The Mustangs almost opened the scoring in the first, with a potential goal for the home side ending up ringing off the crossbar before being saved by Harmon Laser-Hume. Melfort fans called for the goal to stand, but officials called it off.
The Bombers had their own adventure in called-off goals later in the frame, with Justin Lies getting one by Melfort goalie James Venne, but having the goal waved off - and getting Lies sent to the box for goalie interference for good measure.
Flin Flon took a big hit, literally and figuratively, midway through the first as forward Reid Arberry got cut down by Melfort's Chase Friedt-Mohr with a knee-on-knee hit - no penalty was assessed on Friedt-Mohr, while Arberry was taken off the ice and did not return to the game.
Melfort was able to open the scoring for real early in the third, with Kaleb Binner firing a bullet past Laser-Hume.
The Bombers spent much of the last two periods in penalty trouble. Out of seven penalties assessed in the second and third periods, the Bombers took six. That came back to bite the Bombers in the third, as following a hooking call against Lies, Melfort got a powerplay goal by Aidyn Hutchinson to extend the lead.
Flin Flon was assessed a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct not long after the goal, then Adam McNutt was assessed a 10-minute misconduct in the final minutes with Laser-Hume on the bench for an extra attacker. Hutchinson added an empty-net goal to clinch the win and send the Bombers home with only their second regulation loss of the season, handing Flin Flon their first shutout loss of the season.
Laser-Hume made 23 stops in the loss, while Venne stopped 26 Bomber shots on the night to get a win for Melfort.
It is only the second regulation loss for the Bombers this season and their first since Oct. 28, when the Bombers lost the second of a back-to-back weekend set to Melville. Melville and the Mustangs have also beaten the Bombers in overtime this season - the two teams are the only clubs that have handed Flin Flon Ls so far this year. All four of the Bombers' losses have come on the second night of back-to-backs.
Flin Flon remains tops in the league with a 29-2-2-0 record and 60 points, with Melfort creeping closer with 51 points, despite playing three more games than the Bombers. Battlefords is third with 49 points, having played the same number of games as the Bombers.
The game is the Bombers' final one before the Jan. 10 roster deadline - Flin Flon's roster currently is at the 25-player maximum and does not have to cut or trade any player for roster reasons.
The Bombers are back on the ice Jan. 12 at home against Nipawin.
