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.
Two completely different Flin Flon teams took to the ice this weekend, as the Bombers split the series with the Weyburn Red Wings at the Whitney Forum. Friday, the team played their worst game of the season on home ice, losing 9-0. Saturday, the team put forth one of their best efforts of the season, beating the Wings 4-1. It was Flin Flon's first win against a Sherwood Conference opponent this season. Plain and simple, the Bombers stunk on Friday night. Many fans left the building after the second period, and many more headed for the exits as soon as the winning 50/50 ticket number was called in the third period. The Bombers started out on the right track, playing physical, in-your-face hockey for the opening five minutes of the game. Flin Flon didn't play well in their own end, however, and three goals in a four-minute span had the Bombers throwing in the towel just after the halfway point of the first period. After playing possibly his best game as a Flin Flon Bomber in a win against the Battlefords' North Stars last weekend, goaltender Paul Reimer would probably like to forget Friday's contest. Ryan Kuntz beat Reimer cleanly at 7:23, shorthanded to give the Wings a 1-0 lead. The goal would stand up to be the game-winning goal. Jereme Tendler scored a greasy goal at 8:51 after a defensive giveaway behind the Bomber net. Rick Wood scored a breakaway goal for the Wings at 11:31, and an undisciplined penalty allowed Weyburn to go ahead 4-0 by the end of the period, as Tendler scored his second of the game on a power-play at 18:09. The Wings out shot the Bombers 16-9 in the first period, and continued to own the Bombers early in the second period. Clay Bastura scored to make it 5-0 just 1:10 into the second stanza, and Tyler Mills netted Weyburn's second shorthanded goal of the game at 4:10. The Red Wings continued to run up the score in the third period. Clayton Bastura's second of the game came on a power play just 20 seconds after the opening face off. Ryan Grona tallied less than a minute later, and Cale Louden's first goal of the season at 10:07 capped the scoring at 9-0. The Bombers were without goaltender Francois Laverdrere, who has emerged as their go-to guy since being acquired in early January. Laverdrere had been battling the flu, and was not fit to play. Denare Beach prospect Robert Moore was brought up as the back-up for Reimer, but would have only seen action in an emergency. Final shots on net were 36-27 in favour of the Wings, who scored two power-play goals on six chances. The Bombers failed to score on nine tries with the extra attacker, and even allowed Weyburn to score twice while shorthanded. Cale Jordison was perfect in net for the Weyburn. Grinders Daryl Fransoo and Kevin Burwell really stood out for Flin Flon, giving 100 per cent every shift. Both players went toe-to-toe with Weyburn tough guy Roan Blampin on Friday night, and Fransoo stopped a Red Wings breakaway in the third period like a seasoned veteran. Derek Gallagher also looked good in the third period, throwing some big body checks late in the game. Francois Laverdrere's health was a game-time decision on Saturday night, and what an impact his presence made, as the Bombers came through with a 4-1 win. After going scoreless through 30 minutes of play, Anatoliy Moshkovsky finally solved Jordison with a bad angle blast, set up by Laverdrere and Joey Moggach at 10:43. Derek Gallagher made it 2-0 for Flin Flon with a power-play goal at 14:41. Gallagher's one-timer would stand up to be the game winner, assisted by John Iron and Derek Blais. After making an unbelievable glove save from his back, Laverdrere finally let one get by him with seven seconds left on the clock. Clayton Bastura's third goal in two games cut the Bomber lead to 2-1 after 40 minutes of play. After the goal, an undisciplined penalty from Joey Moggach put the Bombers down a man to start the third period, but Flin Flon killed off the penalty and to hold on to their 2-1 lead. Joe Gori added to that lead at 10:28 of the third period from Joey Moggach and Eric Knutson. Weyburn tried to pull their goaltender in favour of the extra attacker, but Derek Blais kept in the net with a rifle that beat Jordison over the shoulder with 1:27 left in the game, assisted by Stewart Sjoberg and Ryan Boak. The Bombers out shot the Red Wings 41-36, scoring once on ten power plays, while holding the Wings scoreless on four advantages. The Bombers remain one point behind the La Ronge Ice Wolves for fifth in the Dodge Conference, with two games in hand. Next action for the Bombers will be this Friday and Saturday, when they host the Yorkton Terriers for a pair of games.
