The Flin Flon Bombers hope some home cooking can help them even their quarterfinals playoff series with the Nipawin Hawks.
On the road, the Bombers fell 5-1 and 3-1 to the Hawks, who had the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s best record in the regular season. With games three and four being played in the Whitney Forum on Tuesday and Wednesday, Flin Flon hopes to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
“We are fired up about Tuesday and Wednesday,” Bombers head coach Mike Reagan said. “We think we can play with these guys and beat them. We obviously have to be aware of penalties and not give them 5-on-3 opportunities.”
After playing their last four playoff games on the road, the Bombers, who entered the postseason as the No. 9 seed, are looking for a strong home crowd to give them a boost against top-seeded Nipawin. The Whitney Forum is known for being loud and filled with enthusiastic fans.
“The atmosphere at the Whitney is unbelievable,” said Flin Flon forward Nate Hooper, who helped the team to the SJHL finals last year. “I think it’s one of the best in the league. Couldn’t ask for better fan support.”
Last season Flin Flon trailed the Hawks 2-0 and 3-1 in the playoffs. The Bombers flew back to win the series and ended their season competing for an SJHL title. Reagan said his team can draw upon that experience.
“It’s a different team, but our mindset has to be the same,” he said. “We hope to get a few guys back in the lineup that give our team a boost. Getting game three is critical.”
In game one, Reagan felt his team played okay, but made some mistakes that cost them. The next game, the Bombers were much better, he said, and could have won. Flin Flon had 11 penalties and 38 penalty minutes, which resulted in nine Nipawin power plays. The Hawks scored on three of those. Reagan said his team took some bad penalties that cost them, but also said he felt there was some intentional diving on the part of the Hawks.
“Nipawin’s supposed to be the big, bad Hawks and they sure don’t play like it when they embarrass the game like that. Looked like watching soccer highlights. At the end of the day, it worked for them to get the win.”
Wild Card Win
The Bombers advanced to face the Hawks by beating the No. 8-seeded Notre Dame Hounds in a best-of-three wild card series. Flin Flon lost 6-4 at home in the opener. They rebounded to win 4-3 in overtime and 4-1, both on the road, to prevail, 2-1, in the series. In the finale, Flin Flon netminder Brenden Newton stopped all but one of the 35 shots he faced.
“I think that in game three, Newton was the difference and I think our guys just wanted it more and were willing to sacrifice more,” Reagan said.
Donavan Houle-Villeneuve led the Flin Flon attack in the wild card series. The 18-year-old forward from Montreal lit the lamp six times in three games against Notre Dame. Houle-Villeneuve scored twice in game two and netted a hat trick in the final contest. When asked about his postseason success, he praised his coach and teammates.
“I just did what Mike (Reagan) said. I put pucks to the net quicker and sticked around the net,” said Houle-Villeneuve, who usually plays on a line with Caleb Moretz and Ethan Daniels. “Also the guys on my line gave me good passes and made it easier for me.”
The Notre Dame series was the first SJHL playoff action for many of the Bombers’ players. The Flin Flon squad includes 11 rookies as well as several players in their first SJHL seasons.
“Playoff hockey is a whole new game no matter what league you’re in,” Bombers defenceman Mason Martin said. “Some people say it’s like a second season. Playoffs in the SJ is way different though. I mean, the crowd support, no matter what building, you’re in is always there. The game is way faster. You don’t have time to make mistakes or not be prepared. And, obviously in playoff hockey, there is way more hitting and hatred for the other team as you’re battling to move onto the next series.”
Bombers this week
Wild Card Series, Game Two
Tuesday, March 13 at Wilcox
Flin Flon 4, Notre Dame 3 OT
Bombers Scorers: Donavan Houle-Villeneuve (2), Rob Johnson, Brandson Hein
Hounds Scorer: Jack Flaman (3)
Goalies: Brenden Newton, FF, 35 saves on 38 shots; Jack Ryan, ND, 30 of 34
Attendance: 502
Notes: Brandson Hein scored the game winner at the 3:48 mark in overtime. The win staved off elimination for the Bombers who lost game one at home. Flin Flon had taken a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Houle-Villeneuve and Johnson. Flaman got one back for Notre Dame in the second period. Flaman scored two more in the third period, but Houle-Villeneuve also scored, tying the game
3-3 after 60 minutes.
Wild Card Series, Game Three
Wednesday, March 14 at Wilcox
Flin Flon 4, Notre Dame 1
Bombers Scorers: Donavan Houle-Villeneuve (3), Brandson Hein
Hounds Scorer: Jack Flaman
Goalies: Brenden Newton, FF, 34 saves on 35 shots; Jack Ryan, ND, 27 of 30
Attendance: 487
Notes: The victory clinched the best-of-three series for the Bombers and moved them onto the next round. Flin Flon had fallen 6-4 in game one at home. “The feeling after winning in Wilcox was incredible because we were losing the series and we came back to win it,” Houle-Villeneuve said. “We worked really hard to win so it feels great to beat them.” After a scoreless first period, Flin Flon scored once in the second and then added three goals in the third. The only shot the Hounds were able to get past Newton was on a power play early in the third period.
Playoffs Round One, Game One
Friday, March 16 at Nipawin
Nipawin 5, Flin Flon 1
Bombers Scorer: Nate Hooper
Hawks Scorers: Kenzie Arnold, Tyler Adams, Grant Baetsen, Austin Mikesch, Brandan Arnold
Goalies: Brenden Newton, FF, 14 saves on 18 shots; Colten Lancaster, FF, 12 of 13; Declan Hobbs, Nipawin, 31 on 33
Attendance: 759
Notes: Flin Flon outshot the Hawks, 32-31. Nipawin held leads of 2-0 and 4-0 at the intermissions. Hooper scored on a power play. Both teams were 1-for-6 on the power play. Nipawin’s Tyler Adams received a gross misconduct in the third period for reportedly making an obscene gesture at a Bombers player.
Playoffs Round One, Game Two
Saturday, March 17 at Nipawin
Nipawin 3, Flin Flon 1
Bombers Scorer: Isaac Jackson
Hawks Scorers: Brandan Arnold (2), Josh McDougall
Goalies: Brenden Newton, FF, 33 saves on 36 shots; Declan Hobbs Nipawin, 22 on 22
Attendance: 684
Notes: All of the game’s goals came on the power play. Flin Flon was 1-for-8, while the Hawks were 3-for-9. Jackson staked Flin Flon to a 1-0 lead in the first period. Nipawin scored twice in the second period and once in the third. Flin Flon’s Calvon Boots and Christian Bosa of Nipawin were ejected for hits to the head.
Odds ’n’ Ends
Game three of the Bombers’ quarterfinal series was set for Tuesday with game four being played Wednesday in Flin Flon. If needed, game five would be played on Friday in Nipawin with game six back in Flin Flon on Saturday. Game seven, if required, would be played on March 27. Last season in the playoffs, Nipawin took leads of 2-0 and 3-1, but the Bombers rallied to win the series and made it to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League finals. In the regular season this year Nipawin was 6-2 against Flin Flon. The Bombers played Nipawin well in the second half of the season.
