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.
Sitting in the exact opposite position as they were with the Melfort Mustangs, the Flin Flon Bombers were faced with their first home game of the Itech Conference Finals against the Humboldt Broncos on Thursday. Although, according to head coach and GM Mike Reagan, the Bombers came out with a good effort, the game went to the Broncos as they scored three goals by the end of the first period. Ending out the regular season and shutting out the Mustangs in the previous series, Matt Weninger wasn't on his game Thursday as he was pulled after the first period. Replacing him, Ryan Kerpan guarded the mesh. Kerpan hadn't played a game in almost a month Ð the last game was February 18 where he shutout the Battlefords NorthStars 3-0. "He played great,' says Reagan, noting this is especially true considering it was almost a month since his last game. "He did his job and gave us a chance to win." As for the Broncos' goals, Reagan says he has "never been a part of a series with so many funny bounces going one team's way and not the other." The Bombers were down 3-0 by the end of the first period and were unable to get past Humboldt, but Reagan says the team played a good game. "We played a great game," he says. "Unfortunately, we were unlucky with the bounces." Looking back at the series with the Mustangs, Reagan says the difference between the games for the Bombers has been capitalization Ð or lack thereof. "Not being able to capitalize on our opportunities," says Reagan, has left the team with zero wins in the series. Though the Broncos led in scoring, the Bombers held the title for most shots on net with 36, compared to the Broncos' 33. "We didn't find any rebounds," says Reagan. "They (the Broncos) did a good job of collapsing and (were) able to clear (the puck). "They kept it simple," says the coach. The Bombers, who were faced with a do-or-die game on Friday, were spending Thursday night until game time on Friday "staying positive." For the next 24 hours, the coaching staff was working on keeping the team upbeat. "It's tough right now," said Reagan. But he says the key is to "keep upbeat and positive and take the positives from tonight." Going into Friday's game, the Bombers' plan was to stay "looser" as Reagan says maybe they were too tight in Thursday's game. "We're going to go out, enjoy it and have fun," he says, knowing there is a chance it could be the team's last game of the season. "You can't look too far ahead, you have to look to tomorrow night," says the coach.
