So last week in my Bomber Beat column, I talked about Flin Flon cracking the CJHL rankings.
As you already know, the Bombers promptly lost all three games last week, falling from the rankings faster than Wile E. Coyote tethered to an anvil, so we won’t be talking about that anymore.
The Kindersley Klippers maintained their number 9 ranking, and the Melfort Mustangs actually moved up two spots to number 11.
The Bombers also dropped in the SJHL Source Embroidery Power Rankings, losing the number one billing and landing in fourth spot, behind the Mustangs, Klippers and Nipawin Hawks.
Ironically, head coach Mike Reagan showed confidence in his team just a week earlier, neglecting to make a single move at the Dec. 1 roster cut-down date. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be moves to make yet.
Roster deadlines can be tricky for teams. You don’t want to upset the chemistry of a team that is performing well.
Until last week, the Bombers had only lost three games in regulation time. They were the top-scoring team in the league, and it didn’t matter who they threw in the net on any given night, they knew they were going to get a quality start.
Obviously a coach is always looking to improve his team, but sometimes the price can be very high for those coveted pieces, such as a defenceman that can quarterback your power play or a top-six forward with some size and speed. Often, the best moves are the ones you don’t make.
Leading up to a deadline, players should be giving 100 per cent effort every shift. You don’t want to be the guy in the dressing room getting caught taking a night off the day before.
Now that the deadline has come and gone, it will be up to the leaders in the dressing room to right the ship.
Reagan and his coaching staff still have until Jan. 10 to finalize their roster, and if the Bombers don’t turn things around this week, don’t be surprised to see some moves sooner rather than later.
I’m not suggesting it’s time to hit the panic button. On the contrary, the Bombers aren’t in danger of missing the playoffs and there’s no question they have the talent to beat any team on any given night.
When a team goes through a tough stretch like this, you really learn a lot about who you can count on. It’s easy for a player to be on the top of their game when things are going well for a team.
But a player who comes to the rink and continues to lead by example when his team is in a slump? Those are the guys you can build your team around.
