The SJHL's hottest team as of late earned two points Wednesday night - and it wasn't the Bombers. Flin Flon could not break through Melfort's defence, eating a 3-1 loss.
Melfort's long-term trademark has been "low-event" hockey, keeping offence under control while generating enough chances to get a lead and - eventually - a win. The Mustangs played just that kind of game - the kind of game that got them six straight wins going into Wednesday night and moved them into second in the league - early on. Despite only dressing 10 forwards, Melfort gave the Bombers everything they could handle early.
The Bombers took a potentially big blow in the first, when Carter Anderson charged into the zone and shot the puck, then lost his balance and crashed into the boards untouched. He lay on the ice for a few moments before heading to the bench, but he returned to the ice later in the period.
Things got physical late in the first, with both teams making big hits, culminating in Jacob Vockler nailing Melfort's Nolan Patterson in the corner, then getting double-teamed by Melfort's Kaleb Binner and Austin Shepherd into the boards. Joey Lies came in behind the two Mustangs and knocked them into the boards from behind, starting off a small brawl. Cooler heads prevailed and the Bombers escaped the situation with a powerplay and no player injuries, but the game was scoreless after 20.
Melfort started the second by killing the penalty and building momentum, wearing down the Bombers. Flin Flon's team kept it close for most of the period, but couldn't keep the Mustangs at bay forever. Clay Sleeva banged home the game's first goal with seven minutes to go in the second, beating Harmon Laser-Hume in close.
The Bombers did themselves no favours when Carter Anderson was sent off the ice for a high hit on Melfort's Nolan Roberts less than 30 seconds after the goal. Anderson was sent to the dressing room with a head contact penalty and misconduct and on the ensuing powerplay, Ryan Duguay capitalized, making it 2-0 Melfort.
The Bombers thought they had tied the game when Alexi Sylvestre fired a wraparound past Melfort goalie James Venne, but officials waved off the goal, saying the puck had crossed the line but the Mustangs' net was off. After a short conference, officials decided the puck would have gone in anyway and gave Flin Flon the goal, cutting the lead to one - Vockler was given credit for the goal.
Flin Flon got a break in the late second with a powerplay and Sylvestre and Vockler almost tied the game with a two-on-one chance, but Vockler whiffed on a one-timer, eliminating that threat. The powerplay could come and go, the Bombers would not convert and entered the third period down 2-1.
Momentum swung Flin Flon's way early with a pair of big saves by Laser-Hume on a Mustangs powerplay, which the Bombers killed off. The team's hard work would be pushed ahead with a powerplay early in the period.
Anderson, back in the game following the hit in the second, teed up a slapshot that pinged off the post, then Sylvestre nearly smacked the rebound home, but couldn't manage to get it. Vockler nearly got the puck in backdoor, then Justin Lies had a chance in close with a wide-open net, but airmailed it high and wide from point-blank range. Melfort killed the penalty off, but took another one soon after, giving the Bombers two more minutes or less to tie the game.
It turned out to be "or less", but not for what Bomber fans could call "happy reasons" - Sylvestre was given a penalty for tripping up a Mustangs player on his way off for a line change, making it four-on-four.
Flin Flon emerged from both that and the following penalty kill unscathed, then got a chance with Sylvestre getting a breakaway - he got the shot past Venne, but the puck dribbled through, hit the post and went out.
All the missed posts and offensive failures came back to bite the Bombers when, with less than five minutes to go, Logan Belton got a fortunate bounce, ended up on a breakaway and scored on Laser-Hume, making it 3-1.
Laser-Hume got involved in the defensive game a bit, personally leaving the crease and breaking up another breakaway for Sleeva and springing the Bombers in on a rush, but nothing came from it. The Bombers pulled Laser-Hume for an extra attacker, but little came from it - and a late penalty by Sylvestre sealed Flin Flon's fate.
Venne stopped 34 of 35 Bomber shots on the night, while Laser-Hume had 32 stops in a losing cause. The Bombers still win the season series with the Mustangs with a 3-2-1 record, but the Mustangs became the only team to beat the Bombers three times this season.
The Bombers are still on top of the league's standings, too far for anyone to reach with 87 points. However, the Mustangs are now in second place clearly with 75 points, including seven straight wins. The Bombers have lost six of their last 10 games, taking more losses in that stretch than in their other 42 games combined.
Flin Flon has just four games left to play this regular season, including a weekend home game against La Ronge Friday night - their final home game before playoffs.
Who the Bombers might play in that round is currently unknown. The current number eight seed in the SJHL standings is the Estevan Bruins, who have the final playoff seed with 52 points. The Kindersley Klippers are one point up with 53 points, but they have played one more game than the Bruins and have the same points percentage down to the thousandth of a per cent.
Three SJHL teams are confirmed to be out of the playoff race - Yorkton, La Ronge and Notre Dame. The only team that can get into the playoff race is Nipawin, but their odds are rough - the Hawks have 45 points and four games to go, meaning the would need to win all four games and have Estevan lose their last four or Kindersley to lose their last two games to make it in.
Wednesday's loss puts the Bombers' chances of setting a franchise junior A win record in doubt. With 42 wins and four games to go, this year's Bombers have lost their chance of breaking the team's all-time win record cleanly - that belongs to the 1956-57 Bomber team that won the Memorial Cup, winning 46 of 53 games on the way. With their recent skid, the Bombers can only tie that team's accomplishment.
After Friday night's home game versus La Ronge, the Bombers will face the Hawks on the road March 10 in a matinee game before finishing the regular season in Humboldt with a pair of games against the Broncos March 15-16.
