One point, but not two - the Bombers took the top team in the SJHL to overtime Saturday but ultimately lost 4-3.
Appearing in the Battlefords Arena in front of 451 fans in the Stars' second near-home game of the weekend, the Bombers found a new rhythm in their game they didn't have Friday night.
It was the Bombers who would open the scoring Saturday, with an early Stars roughing call giving Flin Flon a powerplay and Jeremi Tremblay making good on a chance. While Flin Flon was always buzzing the Stars' net, finishing the period up 19-6 on shots, the goal would stand as the only one of the period, with the Bombers entering the intermission 1-0 up.
The Bombers' lead would be extended early in the second, with Jaxon Martens picking up a corner pass from Tremblay and beating Stars goalie Josh Kotai. That lead, however, wouldn't last - Colby Bear would find the twine past Harmon Laser-Hume, being sprung on a breakaway and going post-in, while Jake Southgate would score a goal of his one less than a minute later, jumping on a loose puck to tie the game.
Zane Florence would break the deadlock for the Stars moments later, beating a sprawling Laser-Hume to give the Stars a 3-2 lead. The Stars would stay up 3-2 entering the third.
The Bombers would end up a man short after a Stars hit sprawled out Liam Bridger, causing Matt Egan to take exception and take down Florence. Egan would take a roughing call and the Bombers would go a man short, but would kill the penalty off.
The Stars defence, as is typically the team's plan, forced the Bombers outside for perimeter shots, but that strategy wouldn't always pay off. Seven minutes into the third, the Bombers were able to find the scoresheet again, tying the game up with a goal by Jacob Vockler.
Battlefords had a prime chance to take the lead on a 2-on-1, but Laser-Hume slid across the crease and robbed Stars captain Southgate with a point-blank save-of-the-year candidate to keep the game tied. A chance for the Bombers with seven minutes to go came close to giving the visitors a lead, but the goal was waved off.
Further chances would solve nothing - overtime would be required.
Flin Flon would start the extra frame with a pair of quick chances, but Kotai stopped both. A third Bomber shot would go wide of the net.
Once the pendulum swung back, the Stars came in and ended the game. Kian Bell snuck around Cory King and burned him wide, coming in and beating Laser-Hume.
Like Friday, the Bombers outshot the Stars by a large margin, but many of the shots came from perimeter, low-danger areas. Kotai stopped 51 shots on the night, while Laser-Hume made 27 saves.
The Bombers will end a tough three-games-in-three-nights weekend road trip with a Sunday night clash with the Humboldt Broncos.
