The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Flin Flon Bombers have come a long way this year. When this season ends, the players can be proud of their improvement. They should be at this point because strides have been made. The beauty of it is they still have 24 games left. The potential has always been there, they have just needed the right person to lead the ship. The Bomber ship will not be like the Titanic. From Brad Snyder, and now Doug Stokes, a difference is noticeable. Snyder did a good job of working the players into better condition and he forced them to work harder, but with Stokes the change is evident. This isn't about comparing one coach to another, because that isn't fair, but how the players have stepped it up. Even though the Bombers lost the second game this week to the Battlefords' North Stars 6-3, applause galore should be given as they competed with the best team in the league. The team has matched up evenly in most games with the North Stars, but in a few games, there was a falling off point. In the 6-3 loss, the main one was mistakes in the defensive zone. Incredibly, some fans blamed goalie Travis Crickard. Stokes pointed out something that people should think about. He said in a nutshell that it's unrealistic to expect an above average game from a goalie who hasn't received enough starts, which is the only way he can get better. Practice is practice, everyone knows where the best challenges come from. Steering back to the improvement. One of the main things this team has lacked all season is consistency. That lunged out in the 4-2 win over Battlefords' in the first game. The first period, was an exciting one to watch, yet the shot totals were low. The North Stars earned only two chances with the last one being the best. What is even more impressive about the turnaround under Stokes is the Bombers have had very few practices with their new coach. Things will only get better with time. One of the most important things that improved before Stokes came was the power-play, which received a boost from mediocrity when Snyder traded for Braden Olszewski. While the power-play blanked in the 6-3 loss, it went 3-7 in the 4-3 win. (We'll forgive the fact they couldn't score on an eight minute power-play.) Following the 4-2 win, Stokes made a powerful statement about his specialty teams. "I've always had one of the top three power plays in the league in the MJHL. for the 20 years I've been in it. I will guarantee it, before this year is out, that power play will be effective." If the Bombers board of governors hasn't done it yet, give yourselves a small pat on the back, it looks like you found the right coach to lead the way, but hey, don't let your head swell up too much.
