The Bombers gave Notre Dame a second straight rout at the Whitney Forum Saturday, beating the Hounds 8-2.
Captain Justin Lies had a hat-trick and five points amidst an all-Bomber outing, extending their win streak to four and giving them points in all six games they've played this season.
The team hosted the annual Flin Flon Minor Hockey appreciation night, celebrating youth players and teams from around the region. Each team and player got a chance to step out on the ice pre-game and take in the Whitney Forum atmosphere with their friends and family.
Flin Flon didn't come out as fast as they did against the Hounds Friday night, but the results still came regardless. Noah Houle opened the scoring in the first with a point shot that snuck through traffic and past Hounds goalie Jesse Pye. Later in the frame, Alexi Sylvestre continued his hot streak by ripping a shot past Pye to make it 2-0 heading into the first intermission.
From there on, the Bombers' second line - consisting of Lies, Anthony Piccininno and Ashton Paul - took over, staying on for five of the Bombers' next six goals. The unit got the Bombers' third goal on a series of darting passes around the zone, ending with the puck on Piccininno's stick, where he stepped in, fired it at the net and put it post-in past Pye.
The Bombers didn't even give the Hounds room to breathe while down a man, with the Bombers' penalty kill outshooting Notre Dame's powerplay throughout the game. Liam Bridger, Jacob Vockler and Dawson Karol each almost had second period shorties, stopped only by Pye's quick pads.
Flin Flon extended the lead to four with a quick play from Piccininno to Lies, who got just enough of the puck on a cross-crease feed to get it past Pye for his first of the night.
After a short delay where the home team's penalty box door was dislodged from a body check, the Bombers kept right on going. They got another puck in close to the Notre Dame net, leading to Paul sweeping it out to an unchecked Lies, who made no mistake for his second of the period.
Notre Dame's offence had a bad case of distemper Saturday night, not getting many chances, but those they did get were dangerous - one puck almost got past Harmon Laser-Hume and got to the goal line before Cole Tanchuk came in to save the day, sweeping the puck off the line. Flin Flon led 5-0 going into the third.
Houle got his second of the night on a shot that handcuffed Pye, then rookie Reid Arberry got in on the act, scoring his first SJHL goal on a slick passing play involving him, Bridger and Fabrice Bourgeois.
Notre Dame, now down by a touchdown for the second straight night, got on the board twice in the final moments, first by Carson Baylis on a loose rope of a shot that just squeaked past Laser-Hume, then on a shot tipped by Baylis that snuck through Laser-Hume's five-hole. That cut the lead to five, but that was as close as the Hounds would get.
With six minutes to go and a man in the box, the Bombers finished the night big, with Piccininno forcing a turnover on the blueline, feeding it to Lies and having the captain get goal number three, showering the ice with hats. On a night celebrating Flin Flon minor hockey players, one just like them scored three goals and added two assists, drawing the curtain on an entertaining weekend for Bomber fans.
Bomber netminder Laser-Hume made 26 saves, while Pye got creamed, making 37 saves on 45 shots.
The Bombers now move to 5-0-1-0 on the season, with 11 of a possible 12 points through their first six games. The Bombers have had four straight games with eight or more goals, putting up a total of 40 goals through their opening six games.
Flin Flon now sits second in the SJHL standings, tied with Weyburn who has played one more game. Melfort, who have played six games and won all six, still sit atop both the league and the Sherwood division standings.
The Bombers will face their toughest test yet this coming week - the dreaded four-games-in-five-nights southern road trip. Flin Flon will go to Yorkton Oct. 10, Notre Dame again Oct. 11, Estevan Oct. 13 and fellow league pacer Weyburn Oct. 14, before returning to the Whitney Forum for two home dates against Kindersley Oct. 20-21.
