The streak is over. A pair of third-period goals by the Estevan Bruins handed the Bombers a 3-1 loss, snapping Flin Flon’s six-game winning streak.
Both teams were off the scoresheet until early in the second period, where Jaxon Martens finally solved Bruins netminder Boston Bilous, picking up a puck in the slot and firing it home.
Things changed in the third, as Caeleb Fitzpatrick shifted momentum to the home team early in the third period, scoring a shorthanded goal from the high slot that fooled Cal Schell high glove side. Eric Houk pounced on a loose puck in the slot to give Estevan a 2-1 lead midway through the frame.
The Bombers did get a late powerplay, with a few prime chances, including Nathan Gagne getting sprung on a breakaway – the puck bobbled on Gagne and was saved by Bilous. A series of plays in the Estevan end of the ice late in the third with the Bombers’ net empty were all for naught - Mikol Sarter scored an empty-netter to seal the Estevan win.
Bilous got the win with a 41-save showing, while Schell, handed his first L in weeks, made 29 saves.
The Bombers’ record falls to 10-4 on the season with the loss and their winning streak is now over. The team still sits in top spot in the SJHL standings with 20 points, one point ahead of Melfort despite having played two more games than the Mustangs. Flin Flon sits second in SJHL points percentage behind the ‘Stangs.
Flin Flon’s four-games-in-five-night road swing will continue Friday and end Saturday, first playing Notre Dame in Wilcox and ending the trip in Weyburn – playing the seventh- and tenth-ranked teams in the league respectively.
