The Flin Flon Bombers dropped two games in two nights but remained in second place in the Sherwood Division.
Flin Flon hosted the Battlefords North Stars, Tuesday night – after coming home from a 2-0 road loss against them – and were outscored 4-3.
The following night, the Bombers were even keel with the Melfort Mustangs until the third period when the home team stepped up its game to make it a 7-4 contest.
Flin Flon continued to sit in second place in the standings with 24 points, but saw the Mustangs inching their way closer with 22 points in third place.
The Nipawin Hawks continued to claim first place in the standings with 28 points.
Flin Flon holds at least one game in hand over the teams in their division, and an extra two games over the Mustangs.
Whitney Action
The Bombers found themselves down 1-0 at the end of the first period in Tuesday’s game as the North Stars opened the scoring.
The North Stars nearly doubled the Bombers’ shots on net in the first period as they fired off 14 on goaltender Devin Buffalo while the Bombers managed eight shots on net.
Flin Flon was down a man early in the game as veteran Brett Boehm was escorted off the ice after an illegal hit on a North Star player.
Down on the ice, Battlefords’ medic helped the player to his feet as blood came from his nose.
Boehm’s hit left the Bombers with five minutes in the penalty box.
The North Stars picked up their first marker on the power play at 12:08 in the opening frame.
Flin Flon also served a two-minute penalty in the first period as Dillan McCombie was called for cross-checking – giving the North Stars a total of seven minutes on the power play.
But the Bombers found the back of the net in the second period.
Tyson Empey tied the game at 3:15 with help from Erik Pedersen and Sean Whelan.
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The tie only lasted a minute as Brock Hounsell made it a 2-1 hockey game for the Bombers – giving them their first lead of the game.
Hounsell’s marker came at 4:17 on a power play with help from Brody Robinson and Austin Calladine.
Another power play goal tied the game 2-2 as the North Stars got the puck past Buffalo at 11:29.
With the game tied 2-2 by the end of the second, the final period would bring another three goals.
Battlefords took the lead once again with a marker at 8:21.
But Flin Flon didn’t let it stand as Dean Allison scored his team’s final goal at 8:39 – his first marker on home ice – with help from Empey and Whelan.
Another quick goal from the North Stars would seal the deal at 10:10 to win 4-3 over the hosting Bombers.
Looking to get back on track, the Bombers made their way to Melfort the following night.
The Maroon and White opened the scoring but they couldn’t keep the lead for long.
Al Kapcheck started the scoring off at 10:04 on a power play with help from Lance Yaremchuk.
Melfort tied the game and finished the scoring for the opening period with a power play maker against netminder Simon Hofley at 14:48.
The second period was a repeat as the Bombers look the lead at 2:33. Paul Soubry made it a 2-1 game with help from Allison and Yaremchuk.
The lead lasted roughly 10 minutes as the Mustangs tied the game once again.
Scoring really opened in the third period as the home team picked up five goals against Hofley – compared to the Bombers’ two.
Melfort scored two goals in the final frame – at 2:31 and 3:41 – before Flin Flon picked up their pair of goals.
Calladine was on target at 11:16 to make it a 4-3 game. Pedersen notched a quick goal to tie the game at 11:29.
The Mustangs broke the tie and took the lead at 17:52.
To give the Bombers a sixth man on the ice, head coach and GM Mike Reagan called Hofley to the bench.
But the plan backfired as the Mustangs scored on the open net.
Hofley returned to the net, but the home team still had one more goal in them as they made it a 7-4 game for the win.
Opponents watch their teammates battle for the puck after a face-off Tuesday at the Whitney Forum.
Austin Calladine took a penalty shot in the second period Tuesday but couldn’t find the back of the net.
PHOTOS BY KELLY CARRINGTON
The Flin Flon Bombers celebrated their first of three goals, Tuesday night.
Bombers captain Brody Robinson made his way toward goaltender Devin Buffalo after the team scored their first goal Tuesday night against the Battlefords North Stars.
PHOTOS BY KELLY CARRINGTON
