It was an overtime thriller that didn't end how Bomber fans may have hoped.
The Flin Flon Bombers played a solid 60 minutes of hockey against the Estevan Bruins Thursday night, but ultimately lost 4-3.
The Bombers started the scoring in the first period with Nick Shumlanski, back on the ice after a brief battle with mumps, scoring his sixth goal of the year. Estevan's Johnny Witzke tied the game five minutes later.
Arthur Miller scored late in the first to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead, but Flin Flon retorted with two quick goals in the second period by Ben Lanfermann and Isaac Jackson to restore the Flin Flon advantage.
The Bombers lead was brief - Jake Fletcher's late second period goal kiboshed the home team's hopes and tied the game at three all.
The third period was intense, with the Bruins firing 22 shots on Bomber goalie Brenden Newton. Newton made his return to the Bomber lineup Thursday after nearly a month away due to injury and was solid in his first game back, making 45 saves in all.
The two teams remained deadlocked after regulation, heading to a three-on-three overtime frame.
Bomber leading scorer Chrystopher Collin and Bruin Hayden Guilderson were both called for penalties late in OT, taking the Bombers' best offensive threat off the ice for the remainder of the game.
Estevan took advantage, with Arthur Miller scoring his second goal of the game on Newton after being left alone near the net. After scoring, Miller skated to the Whitney Forum's centre-ice dot and plunged his stick into the middle, as if he was planting a flag on the Bomber logo - a gesture that antagonized the Flin Flon faithful.
Bruin goalie Maxim Sidelnik got the win, making 40 stops.
Flin Flon is back into an uncomfortable position due to the loss, having now dropped nine of the last 11 games. The Bombers sit in third spot in the Sherwood Division with 18 points, seven points behind Nipawin and nine points ahead of last-place La Ronge.
The Bombers' next game will be Nov. 14 against Melfort, the team's first game in the Whitney Forum since the Nov. 1 tilt that ended with three players earning suspensions for post-game offenses. Bomber Ethan Daniels - who received a two game suspension - will be available to play. Mustang Loch Morrison (three game suspension) can also play, while Drew Warkentine (seven games for becoming involved with a spectator) will not take the ice.
