Did the Bombers have any rust in their first game in two weeks? Nope. They grabbed their second win of 2022 in La Ronge Tuesday night, beating the Ice Wolves 5-1.
The Bombers opened up the taps with three goals in the first period alone, with Jeremi Tremblay getting the party started five minutes in. Cole Vardy got on the board with a powerplay blast midway through the period, followed by another goal with the man up courtesy of Jaeden Mercier.
Taylor Webb got the Ice Wolves on the board midway through the second period, but Zak Smith added the Bombers' third powerplay goal of the night late in the period to make the game 4-1 Bombers.
Things got physical late in the third, with Cole Vardy nailing La Ronge's Brandon Della Paolera with a big hit, leading to Della Paolera getting back to his feet and taking him down in a quick scrum. Vardy would get an interference penalty, while Della Paolera would get a roughing penalty and an extra 10-minute misconduct for his trouble. Matt Egan and La Ronge's Taylor Webb would drop the gloves late in the third, with Egan scoring a decisive takedown and both guys getting sent off for early showers.
The Bombers snagged an empty net insurance goal from Gabriel Shipper with about two and a half minutes remaining, icing the result - their second win since the holiday break and their first win since a two-week pause.
Cal Schell made 32 saves on the night to earn the W, while La Ronge's Dawson Smith stopped 34 shots.
The Bombers move to a 23-10-0-1 record on the season, sitting fifth in the league despite having a long layoff with 47 points. On total point percentage, the Bombers sit third in the league, behind only Estevan and Humboldt and just ahead of both resurgent Melfort and Battlefords.
The Bombers and Ice Wolves will play a second game at the Whitney Forum Wednesday night, with the crowd restricted to 250 people maximum as per current Manitoba COVID-19 health orders. Tickets for the game can be picked up at the Bombers' office on Main Street, with a limited number available for purchase at the door.
