La Ronge battled Flin Flon hard Tuesday night but the Bombers got the last laugh, beating them for the third straight game and earning two big points in their first game of 2023.
The Bombers earned a late lead and held on for a 4-3 victory, beating La Ronge for the third straight game dating back before the holiday break.
The Ice Wolves opened the night with a goal in the first minute. After Jacob Vockler was sent to the penalty box moments into the game, La Ronge's Thomas Wright tipped a flipping puck past Bomber netminder Harmon Laser-Hume, putting the home team up 1-0 early.
Flin Flon would tie the score later with Vockler getting a dose of redemption, capitalizing on a two-on-one with Jeremi Tremblay sending both teams into the dressing rooms tied one all.
The Bombers would start the second with a powerplay and threw chances at Ice Wolves goalie Dawson Smith, but nothing got past the Whitehorse native until halfway through the period. A pile of Bombers descended on the net and Cole Duperreault smacked the puck past Smith, giving the Bombers a 2-1 lead.
That lead wouldn't last. La Ronge first tied the game, then picked up the lead as Kale Taylor beat Laser-Hume on a wraparound, then Jacob Cossette found the twine with a long shot that also found its way in. Those two goals gave the Ice Wolves a 3-2 lead entering period three.
Things got nasty early in the third, with La Ronge's Cole Thomas catching Kylynn Olafson with a big hit and sending him awkwardly into the boards. That drew the immediate ire of Joey Lies, who dumped Thomas to the ice, before Taylor tried taking down Lies, ending with the Bombers' 17-year-old rookie dumping Taylor to the ice. Cooler heads prevailed and penalties were called. Flin Flon had a golden chance to tie the game moments later with a loose puck unsnared by Smith loose in the slot, but the team couldn't bury it. A four-on-three for the Bombers would also go awry.
Things changed after another goalmouth scrum in the third, where Tremblay, hunting for a puck in Smith's crease, got the attention of La Ronge's Ethan Strik, who promptly speared Tremblay in the groin after the whistle near the Ice Wolves net. Tremblay hit the ice for several minutes, requiring care from Bomber trainer Jason Savill before getting to his feet and staying in the game. Strik was given a five-minute major, while Tremblay was given two minutes himself - the officials called him for a possible slash that took place before he was speared in the gonads.
Strik's antics gave the Bombers a great opportunity, first a four-on-four and then a powerplay, to tie the game - which they took, with Jaeden Mercier converting a powerplay chance to even things up. That powerplay would end early though, thanks to a check from behind by Reece Richmond, giving him two minutes and taking the Bombers from a man advantage to a four-on-four and later a short stretch shorthanded. Despite chances for the Ice Wolves, Flin Flon came out unscathed.
At even strength, the Bombers took the lead thanks to Tremblay. Entering the offensive zone with revenge on his mind, the Quebecer fired a bad angle shot at Smith and snuck it past him, giving Flin Flon the lead with nine minutes to go.
La Ronge would push hard toward the Bomber net late to try and tie the game, pulling Smith in the final minute, but the Bombers would hang on, beating La Ronge for their third straight game and pulling even with them in the standings.
Laser-Hume made 27 saves on the night to pick up the win, while Smith stopped 46 pucks during a busy night in La Ronge's crease. Duperreault, Mercier and Tremblay each finished the game with a goal and an assist apiece.
With the win, the Bombers move into a tie with La Ronge for both second place in the SJHL standings and top spot in the Sherwood division. Both teams now have 45 points on the season, but the Bombers have hit that mark in four fewer games than La Ronge. The Bombers are now also on a four-game winning streak, beating the Ice Wolves Dec. 16-17 and beating Yorkton back on Dec. 9, and have won six of their last seven games going back to late November.
The Bombers will have stiff competition this weekend at the Whitney Forum, facing another team in a home playoff spot - the Humboldt Broncos - Jan. 7 and 8 in Flin Flon.
