The Flin Flon Bombers didn't just beat Weyburn Friday night - they made a statement, winning 7-4.
In a highly anticipated rematch of a game earlier this month that ended with a line brawl, goalie fight, suspensions, hundreds of penalty minutes and a Bomber win, fans came in with high expectations. More than a thousand fans filled the Whitney Forum, including several young hockey players and their families at the rink for Flin Flon Minor Hockey night.
Justin Plett put the Bombers behind the eight ball, scoring an early goal for Weyburn. However, the Bombers took over after that. Nate Hooper scored late in the first period, tying the game after 20.
Once the second period began, the Bombers lit up Red Wing goalie Riley Lamb like a Christmas tree - four goals in less than five minutes. Brandson Hein scored twice in the stretch, with Chrystopher Collin and Vincent Nardone adding in goals of their own. Less than halfway through the game, Lamb was sent to the bench, with Weyburn backup Cody Levesque sent out for cleanup duty.
While the Wings got goals from Plett and Cade Kowalski in the second, the Bombers surged forward. Nardone scored early in the third and Hein capped off the game with his third goal of the game late.
Four of the Bombers' seven goals came on the powerplay. taking advantage of 12 Red Wings penalties.
While Pierce Diamond's last game against Weyburn ended with a fight, a suspension and an injury, he bounced back with a 27 save win. Lamb made 16 saves on 21 shots, while Levesque made 22 stops.
The win puts the Bombers back into the SJHL points lead with 24 points, one point ahead of Kindersley, two ahead of Humboldt and three ahead of Melfort. No other SJHL team has had as much offensive success as the Bombers - at 83 goals for so far this season, the Bombers are comfortably in the league's offensive top spot, averaging 4.6 goals a game. Second-place offence Yorkton has scored 61 times.
The Bombers also have a stranglehold on the league's top scorers list - all three of the top positions in the league are filled by Bombers. With his hat trick Friday night, Hein now leads the SJHL with 21 goals and 35 points in 18 games. Nate Hooper sits second with 30 points in 18 games, leading the league in assists with 23. Daylan Marchi has also snuck into the top three with 28 points in 18 games. Other Bombers including the injured Caleb Moretz and Chrystopher Collin, are in the top 20 of all SJHL point scorers.
Calvon Boots, back after serving a brief suspension, still leads the SJHL in points by a defenceman, grabbing 18 points in 16 games, including 17 assists.
The Bombers will be back in action on Nov. 1 in Melfort, with a home and home series against La Ronge scheduled in two weeks. The Bombers will host the Ice Wolves on Nov. 9 before heading to La Ronge on Nov. 10.
