With most of their top players out hurt, the Bombers took a tough loss to a division rival Tuesday, losing 6-3 to Melfort.
The Bombers' already long injured list saw another name added to it, an important one too - forward Zach Cain joins the ranks of the wounded, having sustained an injury during the Bombers' game against Nipawin March 3. Cain's injury means all of the Bombers' top five scoring forwards - in order of points, Cole Duperreault, Jeremi Tremblay, Cain, Jaeden Mercier and Jacob Vockler - were all out of the lineup Tuesday.
With a short bench, the Bombers gave up their first goal midway through the first - Zac Somers scored his 26th of the season for the Mustangs on a powerplay, giving the 'Stangs the lead. Brock Mueller would answer back for the Bombers soon after, scoring a highlight-reel goal on Melfort netminder Joel Favreau. The teams would enter the intermission tied at one.
That, sadly for Bomber fans, was as close as the maroon and white would get. The Mustangs scored three goals of their own through the second - Ben Tkachuk on a rebound and a wraparound, Tye Evans when an awkward bounce led to a turnover and a Melfort one-timer, then Tkachuk again on a loose puck that evaded Bomber goalie Harmon Laser-Hume. Flin Flon stopped the bleeding in the last minute, with Reece Richmond scoring his third goal of the year with a post-in powerplay goal, making it 4-2 Melfort after 40.
The Bombers made it a one-goal game early in the third, with Joey Lies scoring another goal in front of his hometown crowd to make it a 4-3 game, but moments later, Melfort's Hayden Tuba took advantage of a weird bounce and beat Laser-Hume, regaining the two goal lead. Boston Maxwell would add an empty-netter with just under four minutes to go, with Laser-Hume on the bench.
Two more exclamation points came for the Bombers late - first, a fight between Tkachuk and Ethan Mercer that ended with a decisive Tkachuk takedown, then a Bomber point shot that nailed forward Liam Bridger in the face. The Newfoundlander was treated on the ice, left the game and did not return.
Laser-Hume took the L with a 30 save performance, while Favreau also stopped 30 shots in a winning cause.
Flin Flon remains in second place in the SJHL standings, but Tuesday's loss took the team's fate mostly out of its hands. The Bombers have two games left, both against La Ronge, and have 76 points. Humboldt, on the other hand, have three games still to play - each against non-playoff opponents - and have 75 points in total. If the Bombers win both of their remaining games, they would finish with 80 points, but would still require the Broncos to lose at least one of their remaining games.
As of Tuesday, the Bombers' most likely first-round playoff matchup would either be the Estevan Bruins or Nipawin Hawks - both teams Flin Flon won season series against this year.
