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.
A split against the best team in the league isn't bad. That was the debut for new Flin Flon Bombers coach-GM Dough Stokes. After winning the first game 4-2, defensive mistakes haunted the Bombers during a 6-3 loss. "I thought we made more mental mistakes tonight (Wednesday), than we did last night," Stokes said after the loss. "I thought the first period was kind of a so-so type of period. In the second, I thought we played pretty well, I thought we had some opportunities, 3-3 after two, I thought a pretty evenly contested contest at that time." An early power-play goal in the third was the eventual winner that set the Bombers back. See 'Strong' P.# Con't from P.# Greg Park scored 54 seconds in, then the North Stars added their fifth of the game when a Bombers' defenseman allowed Jesse Matlock in alone on goalie Travis Crickard. "I didn't think we played near as well in front of him," said Stokes. Crickard, who made his last start against the Kindersley Klippers, made 26 saves on 32 shots. Crickard ended his night by fighting goalie Jonathan Laniel as both teams had a small brawl near the North Stars net. "I just saw everybody going at it and thought I should get down there," said Bombers rookie defenseman, Keelan Cook. "Everybody's throwing and I don't know, it was just chaos really. I don't know how it started." In the first game, which was the first time former Bomber captain Clayton Geiger returned to the Whitney Forum since being traded, the Bombers came out strong. They played a solid 60 minutes, which the team has lacked throughout the year. Brett Needham opened the scoring with Laniel out of position during a goal-mouth scramble. He also scored his seventh goal in the second game putting a backhand shot in the open side. "I just scurried from around the net there," Needham said about his goal in the 6-3 loss. "I seen that d-man rim it and I thought I was out of position to tell you the truth and the puck just came right there and just put it in there with the backhander. Just getting lucky, I guess." During the 4-2 win the Bombers played a good defensive game as they only allowed 14 shots in the first two periods. "Here's a pretty explosive club that was held to 13 shots in two periods of hockey and when we did break down, we had a goaltender make some great saves for us," Stokes said after the first game. "It was a collective effort right from the goaltender out."
