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Bombers' playoff hopes dashed

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.

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.

For the third consecutive year, the Whitney Forum will be empty when the SJHL playoffs begin. Hockey fans in Flin Flon will have to travel down the Highway 10 to watch junior hockey action, as the Bombers officially eliminated themselves from playoff contention on the weekend. When the team and their fans look back on the season, it won't be the 12 ties or three overtime losses that stick out, as the team battled hard to earn those points. The number that sticks out like a sore thumb is the 26 losses (as of Saturday night), and more specifically, the games like Thursday night's 9-2 loss where many of the Bombers mailed in their effort. The Bombers rebounded with a solid effort on Saturday night, locking into a 1-1 battle with the Weyburn Red Wings on their third game of a four-games in five nights swing. Despite the fact that the Bombers were penalized heavily in the game on Thursday night, coach Ryan Hoffman attributed their rough start to goaltending and their sub par play in their own end. Notre Dame opened the scoring on a goal by Chris Henry at 7:32 of the first period, before Kyle Holmes replied from Andrew Skrabek at 9:20. Paul Geiger scored Notre Dame's first of five power-play goals on the night during a five-on-three advantage at 12:26. Tyson Hoover scored the game-winning goal at 16:04 of the first period, giving the Hounds a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes of play. Shots on net after the first period were 18-4 in the first period, and the Bombers continued to struggle in the second period, as the Hounds out shot the Bombers 16-4 and scored three more goals to take a 6-1 lead. The Bombers spent over 10 minutes killing penalties in the second period. Rylan Kaip netted his first of the game 44 seconds after the opening face off. Jeff Kielbratowski scored Notre Dame's second five-on-three goal at 15:16, spelling the end of the night for Paul Reimer, who gave up five goals on 30 shots, but was also hurt on a shot a couple of plays earlier. It didn't matter to the Hounds who was in net, as Kaip scored their sixth goal at 19:11 on a power play against Laverdiere. The score was 6-1 after the second period, and the Bombers had already been out shot 34-8, giving the Hounds nearly as many goals as the Bombers had shots. Jimo King started the Bombers on the right track at 5:29 of the third period, on a goal assisted by Kyle Holmes and Derek Blais, but the Hounds replied with three more scores before the end of the period. Brock Higgins made it 7-2 at 7:44. An odd penalty gave the Hounds their third five-on-three advantage and resulting goal, as the Bombers were assessed a bench minor for not controlling a Flin Flon fan behind their bench at 9:44, and Jeff LaPointe already in the box for slashing. Andrew Gordon scored the Hounds' fourth power-play goal of the game at 9:53, on the two-man advantage. Tyson Hoover rounded out the scoring at 11:17 with yet another power-play goal. Notre Dame out shot Flin Flon 43-17 in the game, and scored five goals on 12 power plays. Flin Flon's lone power play chance came near the end of the first period, leaving them 0/1 on the night. After a day to regroup on Friday, the Bombers were back in action on Saturday, taking on the Weyburn Red Wings, who can finish no worse than second in the Sherwood Conference, and entered the game just three points behind the Melville Millionaires for first place in the south. See 'Goaltending' P.# Con't from P.# Goaltending was the key on Saturday, as the Bombers managed a tie against the Red Wings despite being out shot 35-17. Francois Laverdiere made 34 saves in the 1-1 draw. No goals were scored in the first period, but plenty of misconducts were handed out after Roan Blampin started a scrum when he hit Bob Graham from behind. Graham did not return, and Blampin was ejected from the game. Kevin Burwell, John Iron and Daryl Fransoo were all handed 10-minute misconducts, as were Weyburn's Kenny King and Ryan Kuntz. All the scoring was done in the second period. Clayton Bastura scored his 27th goal of the season on a power-play at 14:51, but Jimo King scored his third goal in four games, short handed at 16:59, assisted by Kyle Holmes and Jeff LaPointe. The line of Jimo King, Kyle Holmes and Clayton Geiger have been Flin Flon's most effective combination as of late, scoring six of the Bombers' 11 goals in their last four games. The Bombers closed out their road trip with a game in Estevan last night. Results were unavailable at press time.

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