It came down to the wire, but the Bombers are now one win away from a return ticket to the SJHL finals.
A third period goal by Alexi Sylvestre and a shutout by Harmon Laser-Hume brought the Bombers a 1-0 win and a 3-0 series lead.
The Broncos entered Game 3 down three crucial players - defender Daylan Weigel remained out, joined on the sidelines by top-line 20-year-old Alec Saretzky and star rookie Matthew Van Blaricom. Meanwhile, the Bombers welcomed back Matt Egan, who returned to the lineup for his first game in six weeks.
Flin Flon started out on their heels, with a big loss averted in the opening minute. Cole Duperreault was dumped from behind by Samuel Marburg, going down in a heap and going off the ice slowly and in pain. The forward would not only stay in the game, but he would come on for a Bomber powerplay, coming after a scrum moments later.
The powerplay would be killed off by the Broncos, who then took another penalty immediately after as Marburg took a slash at Jeremi Tremblay. Tremblay was down on the ice following the whack and was tended to by Bomber trainer Jason "J-Roc" Savill, but he would also stay in the game.
Humboldt's search for their pound of flesh put the Bombers back up a man, but once more the visitors would kill the penalty off. Meanwhile, Egan, back in the lineup and flying around the ice early, got too hot and took a penalty of his own, but it was the Bombers who would have the best chance. Jacob Vockler was sprung in on a breakaway and came in on Benjamin Motew, but Motew got the last laugh, making the save.
The Broncos got a puck by Laser-Hume with less than two minutes to go, with a point shot by Ben Kotylak going in, but the goal was immediately waved off - officials ruled that rookie Connor Miller interfered with Laser-Hume before the puck went in. With a lucky break, the Bombers headed back down the ice. Marburg and Kylynn Olafson would get into a tussle late in the frame, with Marburg - listed as 6-foot-2, 188 pounds - and Olafson - 5-foot-8, 165 pounds - both getting tangled and going off for roughing.
Both teams would head into the intermission still tied 0-0.
The second period would bring prolonged ping-pong puck, with chances for both teams and massive saves. Laser-Hume would be called on five minutes in as Cage Newans and Maddox Amaral came in on the goalie, Amaral dangled the goalie out and almost scored - but Laser-Hume stretched out and just got a foot on the puck, keeping it out. Laser-Hume stood tall again with six minutes to go, with Tim Kim on the doorstep with an open cage and the goalie sliding across to rob him blind.
Egan would be in a pileup near the net late in the period, crashing into a pair of Broncos near Humboldt's net. Egan took both a stick shaft in the teeth and an awkward landing for his troubles, staying down on the ice with an injury. Egan would be taken to the bench and would later leave the game and not return.
Flin Flon would generate chances, putting 13 shots on Motew, but would have nothing to show for it - Humboldt's 14 shots were also all saved. Both goalies were pitching shutouts going into the third.
Five minutes into the third, the Bombers would finally break the ice. Working off a forced Bronco turnover, Cory King would feed Sylvestre, with Vockler racing toward the net. Sylvestre put a shot in to the slot, where the puck bounced off Noah Barlage and past Motew, opening the scoring.
The Bombers would play to protect that narrow lead for the rest of regulation time, pushing play toward the Bronco zone for the rest of the night. Motew made a massive save with five minutes to go, robbing Ethan Mercer, but the Broncos would not generate much offence. Laser-Hume stood tall, even with the Broncos up a man with an empty net, pushing the Bombers over the line and earning the goalie his first SJHL playoff shutout.
Forty shots came Laser-Hume's way - all 40 were stopped. Motew saved 34 shots, but the bounce off Barlage proved to be the winner.
Flin Flon now goes up 3-0 in the series, having already won Games 1 and 2 in Humboldt last weekend. The Bombers will have a chance to close out the series, sweep the Broncos and move on to the league championship with a win at the Forum Wednesday night.
The Bombers aren't the only team up 3-0 in their series - the Battlefords North Stars took a 3-0 lead of their own in their series against Melfort Tuesday night, pulling off a 1-0 double overtime victory to earn a chance to close out Wednesday.
