No home ice advantage this year - the Bombers lost their final game of the season Friday night in North Battleford, dropping a 4-1 decision to their likely first-round opponents.
The Battlefords North Stars took the lead late in the first and never relinquished it, handing the Bombers yet another loss to add to the pile of recent Ls.
Jake Southgate got the Stars on the board halfway through the first, but Jaeden Mercier got the Bombers tied up again less than a minute later. That, for the Bombers, was about as good as it would get. Bradley Blake put the Stars back ahead late in the period.
The Stars would keep that lead until the final horn, with Wilson Steele and Kelton Kline adding third period goals for good measure.
Bomber Matt Raymond and the Stars' Matthew Henry, who have had one of the SJHL's more interesting player-vs-player rivalries, consummated it again in the third, dropping the mitts halfway through. In each of the last three games between the two teams, the two players have gotten involved - Henry has been ejected all three times, including once for an incident in the pre-game skate.
The Bombers put 49 shots on the Stars' Austin Schwab, who saved all but 48 - Bomber netminder Cal Schell made 30 saves.
The loss guarantees the Bombers fifth place in the league this season, finishing the year with 71 points and on a three-game losing skid. The Bombers will either play the Melfort Mustangs or the Stars in the first round, both of whom beat the Bombers this week. The more likely option is the Stars, who now sit fourth in the league with 74 points and two games left - Melfort, whose regular season schedule is complete, has 77 points.
The Stars can overtake the Mustangs and spark a Bombers/Mustangs first round if they get three points or more in their last two games - the Stars hold the tiebreaker over the Mustangs and will get a higher spot in case of a tie in points.
Over the past month, the Bombers have taken a dive down the league standings, winning only three of their past 12 games since Feb. 15. The Bombers, who started that stretch in third place and who did not play either first-place Estevan and second-place Humboldt in that time, only played teams that were below them in the standings as of Feb. 15.
As of Friday night, no SJHL playoff team has had a worse record in their last 10 games than the Bombers, who have gone 3-7 in that time.
Playoff game dates have not yet been announced by the SJHL.
One first round SJHL playoff matchup is already confirmed. Estevan will face Notre Dame in their first round series. Humboldt, the second place team, will play either Yorkton or La Ronge, while the third place team - either Melfort or the Stars - will play whichever of Yorkton or La Ronge finishes higher in the standings.
