The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Bombers have done it again Ð they moved one step closer to the playoffs during last FridayÕs game against the Ice Wolves in La Ronge. Flin Flon showed up ready to play and confident they were taking home a win. They stood their ground and took down the home team 5-3 in the much anticipated game between the rival teams. The Bombers sat one point behind the Ice Wolves going into Friday nightÕs game. Both teams were counting on the game, as it was leading up to do or die time. But the Maroon and White werenÕt going to take their chances as they came out on fire for the game. Calvin Bartel has been seeing some decent ice time lately and that continued as he stood solid in the pipes. Like many of their games, the Bombers outshot the Ice Wolves 51-35. Kudos go to La RongeÕs goalie Jonathon Jobin, who faced 20 shots in the first period, letting in only two. But having Jobin on his game wasnÕt enough for his team as the visiting Bombers still fired away and came out on top with a win. With the stakes that high, there was a lot of stress riding on the game. But as assistant coach Clayton Quinn says, ÒitÕs all good stress.Ó During the final seconds of the game, the Ice Wolves pulled Jobin, adding another player to the ice. But it wasnÕt enough as MacLeod found the back of the empty net, or so he thought. The puck was said to have bounced out of the net before the Ice Wolves carried the puck up the ice out of their zone before the whistle blew and the goal was counted. Friday saw captain Dennis Kubat earn himself two goals and two assists while Harley Garrioch scored his second goal of the season. MacLeod earned the empty net goal as well as another assist in the game, and Michael Young found himself on the assist list twice that night as well. The first period saw the Bombers and Ice Wolves battle back and forth, but it was Kubat who found the back of the net first during a power play, after 10:45 of play, after being fed by Pierre-Luc Boucher and Myles Masse. And to end the first period, with only two seconds remaining on the score clock, Garrioch made it 2-0 for the Bombers, with help from MacLeod and Barrett Penner. Bartel saw only eight shots come his way in those first 20 minutes of play, while the Bombers fired off 20 at Jobin. A few penalties were served as well as Jordie Johnston was given two minutes for roughing. Bartel was called on slashing, while Ice Wolf Bruno-Pier Gosselin sat out two minutes for roughing after the whistle, which gave the Bombers the power play they needed for their first goal of the game. La Ronge saw a hooking call while Darcy Holfeld and Codie Pederson were each given two minutes for roughing. And Joel Belair rounded out the final penalty with a slashing call. Trailing 2-0 to the visiting home team was enough of a boost for the Ice Wolves to break BartelÕs shutout in the second period as Johnson, assisted by Jarrid Dowhay and Tyler Karst, made it 2-1 after 7:15 of play. But the Ice Wolves celebration didnÕt last too long as Dustyn Clegg, Kubat and David Linsley made it 3-1 only 45 seconds later. But again, the Ice Wolves came back as they made it 3-2 with a late goal in the second period by Calvin Fiddler. The second period saw a number of penalties as the Bombers faced seven of their own. The Ice Wolves, who earned themselves eight, were called on roughing after the whistle, interference, holding, cross checking, goaltender interference and unsportsmanlike conduct. But it was Penner and Thomson who got into it as they were both given two minutes for fighting. The Maroon and White saw themselves in the box for interference, goaltender interference, roughing, hooking and slashing. The second period saw both goalies busy as Bartel was faced with 15 shots on net, while Jobin saw 16. The intermission between periods seems to be a good break for the teams, and Kubat proved it as he, along with Clegg and Young, scored the teamÕs fourth goal of the game just after the three minute mark. But once again, the Ice Wolves werenÕt going to take that lying down. They pulled their socks up and mustered another goal past Bartel, making it 4-3 for the Bombers. And it was late in the third when Jobin was pulled, giving the Bombers and empty net to score on. And MacLeod took that opportunity and made it 5-3, with the help of linemates Kubat and Young. The third period was more tame than the second as there were only two penalties. Jean-Sebastien Bergeron was given two minutes for cross checking while Matt Dyck spent two minutes in the box for delaying the game. Bartel had another 12 shots on net, but the Bombers, once again, passed the home team, as they fired off 15 shots. The Bombers and Ice Wolves met up again Saturday night, this time at the Whitney Forum. (For more on the BombersÕ weekend, see pg. 12).
