Friday was a mixed night for the Flin Flon Bombers. On one hand, the team clinched a spot in this year's playoffs. On the other, the Bombers were shut out by one of the SJHL's worst teams.
The Bombers started a three-games-in-three-days southern road swing with a 1-0 loss to an undermanned Melville Millionaires club, currently 10th in the 12-team league and four points out of the league's last playoff spot.
Noah Wills opened the scoring early in the third period, ending Cal Schell's bid for a modern Bomber season record seventh shutout and ending a shutout streak that lasted for nearly three straight hours of game action. Schell went 166:16 between giving up goals, with his last goal against before Friday coming during a road game in Estevan.
Melville was missing forwards Nicolas Samson, Zach Cain and Rylan Bruns, but the Mils were still able to hold on. Mils goalie Alexis Giroux was flawless in net, making 47 saves, while Schell made 25 stops.
The Bombers themselves were undermanned, missing forwards Jeremi Tremblay, Brett Wieschorster and defender Cole Vardy. To compensate, the maroon and white brought in some new faces in the lineup. Defender Noah Kuntz, who went back to his hometown of Regina last month to rehab a shoulder injury, got a call-up for the night, while forward Dawson Karol played his first junior A appearance as an affiliate player. The 17-year-old has 20 points in 42 games with the Yorkton Maulers U18 AAA team.
Despite the loss, the Bombers have clinched a playoff spot, guaranteed to finish no worse than eighth place in the league. The Bombers currently have 65 points and 10 games left to play. Neither Kindersley, Melville, Nipawin or Weyburn will not be able to reach the 65 point mark, even if any of the four teams win all of their remaining games. Even if the Bombers lose all their remaining games, they are guaranteed to finish higher in the standings than those four teams, thereby clinching a playoff spot. Kindersley ensured they could not hit 65 points due to a loss Friday night to Melfort.
Both Humboldt and Estevan have clinched playoff spots as well - by contrast, only one team, the Weyburn Red Wings, is confirmed to be missing the playoffs, thanks to a loss Friday night to Estevan. The Bombers also sit first in the Sherwood division, five points ahead of the Melfort Mustangs with a game in hand, and remain third in the league overall, five points up on idle Battlefords.
The Bombers' weekend run will continue with a Saturday afternoon special in Yorkton, before heading on a cross-Saskatchewan road trip for a Sunday night game on the road against the Battlefords North Stars. After a few days' rest, the Bombers play Nipawin and Notre Dame (11th and eighth in the league standings) at home before playing five of their remaining six games against divisional opponents.
