The Bombers opened up this year's SJHL Showcase with a decisive 4-1 win over the Weyburn Red Wings.
The Bombers weren’t able to convert on a pair of early Red Wings penalties but did kill off a penalty of their own in a back-and-forth first period. Cole Duperreault and company had chances late in the frame in close, battling in front of Weyburn netminder Dazza Mitchell, but couldn’t convert.
The Bombers’ fortunes would change with moments to go in the first frame, with local Bomber Joey Lies rushing the puck down and firing a seeing-eye shot on Mitchell. Lies was stopped, but fellow Bomber rookie Liam Bridger would not be, seeing both players pick up their first points as Bombers. Flin Flon had a 1-0 lead after one.
Jeremi Tremblay and Kylynn Olafson almost made it 2-0 shortly after the Bombers killed off an early second-period penalty, but Mitchell shut the door. Flin Flon would expand the lead later and in dramatic fashion - after being sprung on a breakaway, Tremblay snuck in his first goal in over eight months.
Hostilities were exchanged late in the period after a big hit on Olafson, culminating with a pileup in the Weyburn crease, several penalties being taken and a Bomber powerplay that would not be capitalized on. In the dying moments of the second, Matt Egan was taken out by Weyburn’s Mathieu Gautier with a knee-on-knee hit - Gautier was assessed a five-minute penalty and kicked out of the game and the Bombers would get five minutes of playtime with a man up.
They’d take advantage fast, with Jaxon Martens getting a quick seam pass down low and beating Mitchell. Flin Flon would take a 3-0 lead back to the dressing room - and, owing to Gautier’s major penalty, still had four minutes and change of powerplay time to start in the third.
Flin Flon wouldn’t score again on the major and Weyburn almost got on the board with Mi-Kwan Tallman getting a chance in close, but Harmon Laser-Hume shut the door for the Bombers.
Red Wing Jacob Kalin would kill Laser-Hume’s shutout bid on a powerplay midway through the third. Kalin would almost get a second goal with five minutes to go, but Laser-Hume would deny him on the second chance. Flin Flon’s Ethan Anstey led a two-on-one with Tremblay late, but would both flub the shot and execute a Daffy Duck three-point landing onto the ice, forgoing the chance.
Alexi Sylvestre would ice the game with an empty-netter for the Bombers with seconds to go, moving Flin Flon to 2-1-1 on the season.
The Bombers will play their second showcase game Tuesday afternoon against Melville in Warman, playing at 1:30 p.m. local time and 2:30 p.m. Flin Flon time. The game will be streamed live online via the SJHL's social media pages.
Flin Flon will play both showcase games without captain Lucas Fry, who was given a two-game suspension for a cross-check against La Ronge following a supplemental discipline request made to the league.
