By defeating the Nipawin Hawks twice last weekend, the Flin Flon Bombers greatly improved their grasp on the Sherwood Division lead.
The Bombers knocked off the Hawks 4-1 at home on Friday, and 3-2 on the road on Saturday. Flin Flon now has a record of 17-8-2-2 in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. With 38 points, the Bombers lead the 29-point Hawks by nine in the Sherwood Division.
“It was crucial for us to get both of these games this weekend to distance ourselves to nine points up on Nipawin rather than five,” Bombers assistant coach Garry Childerhose said. “Any time you’re playing a home-and-home against a team in your own division, they are must-win games.”
Last weekend Medicine Hat product Brenden Newton was strong between the pipes for the Bombers. He made 36 saves on Friday and 23 on Saturday.
“Brenden Newton was great in back-to-back starts for us and made some key saves in timely moments for us to be able to get the win,” Childerhose said.
Rylee Zimmer led the way offensively for the Bombers on Friday. He had a goal and two assists.
“Zim has been very good after a slow start to the season,” Flin Flon head coach Mike Reagan said. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence and playing like a true first-line centre should.”
Friday’s game was the debut of recently acquired defenceman Troy Williams.
“I thought Williams played good for his first game as a Bomber and, for 18, he has some very good upside,” said Reagan.
Reagan coached Friday’s game and then departed for his assistant coaching duties with Team Canada West for the upcoming World Junior A Challenge.
Bombers Cory Thomas and Brandon Lesko will be competing for spots on the squad’s training camp this week.
With Reagan away, Childerhose and Chris Bortis, along with trainer Tanner Arnold, will lead the Bombers for much of December.
That started on Saturday night when the squad was able to squeak out a road win in Nipawin.
Greyson Reitmeier scored in the second period on a one-timer off a face-off play, which brought the bench to life, Childerhose said. The teams were tied at 1-1 after the period, but defenceman Mason Etter put the Bombers up for good on a power play in the third.
“I came off the bench when [Nick] Shumlanski changed and it was a matter of seconds before Reitmeier slid me the puck and I one-timed it low glove side,” Etter said.
This week the Bombers host Weyburn (15-11-0-3) Wednesday and Estevan (22-8-0-1) Friday. Estevan leads the Viterra Division with 45 points. Weyburn sits in second with 34.
Game time is 7:30 pm for both games at the Whitney Forum.
