Penalty woes and misfires sunk the Bombers in their second game of the season Saturday night, with Nipawin taking down Flin Flon 5-2.
Harmon Laser-Hume got the Bomber start in only his second game since being traded by Nipawin to Flin Flon earlier this month, playing against his former teammates-turned-rivals. Laser-Hume earned a shutout in his first game Friday night against Melfort.
The Bombers would only muster four shots on goal in the first period, go along with nine for the hometown Hawks. No notable offence came in the first, but plenty would come in the second - though no offence Bomber fans wanted to see.
Nipawin would get on the board first, thanks to undisciplined hockey by Flin Flon. With Jaeden Mercier in the box, a Joel Mabin shot deflected past Laser-Hume and opened the scoring.
After Kaden Kohle took a double-minor for a spear, Braxton Buckberger would deal the Bombers additional damage, firing another shot past Laser-Hume to make it 2-0 Hawks. Buckberger would later cut through the neutral zone, dangle out Aiden Chow and beat Laser-Hume again to extend the lead to three.
Flin Flon would get a few late chances to stop the bleeding, including a great shot by Jaxon Martens, who rang one off the post behind Nipawin goalie Reid Lalonde, but nothing would work. Nipawin would make it a 4-0 game late in the frame, when Bryden Kiesman burned his former teammate.
Cole Duperreault would score with seconds left in the period on the Bombers' first powerplay of the game. Through five periods of hockey, no other Bomber but Duperreault had scored for the team this season, with the forward adding both markers for the team against Melfort Friday.
Duperreault continued that streak early in the third period, converting a one-timer from Mercier to score his fourth goal in as many periods, cutting the lead to 4-2. Other chances would come, including a Duperreault breakaway chance and opportunities late with Laser-Hume on the bench, but Nipawin would seal things with a Maguire Ratzlaff empty netter to end the night.
Laser-Hume took his first L in maroon and white, making 27 saves. Lalonde got the victory after stopping 25 pucks.
The Bombers will face La Ronge for the first time this season at the Whitney Forum Sept. 23, then will play a pair of weekday games in Warman for the SJHL Showcase - first playing against Weyburn at 7:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time (8:30 p.m. local time) Sept. 26, then facing Melville at 1:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time (2:30 p.m. local time) Sept. 27.
