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.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer A recorded 1,032 fans packed into the Whitney Forum Monday night to watch the Flin Flon Bombers lake a 2-1 lead in their series with the Nipawin Hawks. With a 7-2 victory, Flin Flon led the semifinal series heading into last night's game. Though the scoreboard suggested total domination for the Bombers, head coach and GM Mike Reagan says it wasn't like that. 'I know...it looks like we completely dominated, but it wasn't the case,' he said positively after Game 3 of the series. The Bombers led the Hawks 3-1 going into the third period as the teams played a fairly even game. '...then (Josh) Roach scores...17 seconds into the third period. That was huge for us,' Reagan said. 'That gave us a little cushion.' He said 'things can change so quickly, so you've got to be very leery of that situation.' But the third period continued to go in the Bombers' favour as they took off with three more goals. After Nipawin went down 5-1, coach Doug Johnson pulled starting goaltender Davis Jones. 'They aren't blaming him, they are just resting him for (Tuesday),' Reagan says. With a new goaltender in place, the Bombers picked up two more goals to make it a 7-2 victory. 'I think it was important for us to just keep going at them,' said Reagan. 'I don't want any letdowns...or bad habits.' The Hawks and Bombers started their series in Nipawin with games this past Friday and Saturday. The two teams were at an even keel throughout the regular season and it showed in the opening games. Friday night, the Bombers defeated the Hawks 4-3, while the Hawks earned the second win 5-4 in overtime. 'I just thought we played (really) well in Nipawin,' said Reagan. 'We showed a lot of grit and determination.' The Bombers came back from their split weekend in good spirits. 'Getting Game 1 was huge for us. That's a confidence booster,' said Reagan. 'And then you can go into Game 2 thinking 'hey, if we can get this one, we can go back to the Flon with a 2-0 lead.' 'And we know how well we play in this rink.' Though the bench boss was disappointed with the loss Saturday, he and the team were still feeling positive. 'It was disappointing...because of the...position that we could have put ourselves into, but I still feel good,' Reagan said. 'I wasn't mad or anything.' Coming back to the Whitney Forum made all the difference for the Maroon and White. Back on home ice Monday, the coach says there was a different vibe in the dressing room. 'The loss hurt, but the next day, when we got home, we felt good,' he said. 'I saw a real positive group and that's what we've tried to do _ just stay positive throughout everything. Whether we get down or what, just stay positive because we know we are capable of coming back.' In the dressing room before the game and during intermission, Reagan saw what he had been searching for throughout the regular season. 'The mental focus on these guys _ I'm seeing it on guys that you beg them throughout the year to be focused,' he said. 'So, it's a group that really believes right now.' Extra Support As the Bombers left for Nipawin Friday morning, roughly 500 students from Creighton Community School lined the fence on Main Street to cheer on the Maroon and White. Not knowing the students would be waiting for them, Reagan says their gesture was the talk of the trip. 'All the guys were talking about how cool that was,' he said with a smile. 'It gives you a lot of inspiration, that's for sure.' The coach and the rest of the team were excited to see the smiling faces and homemade signs on the cold winter morning. 'It was nice to have that sendoff,' said Reagan. Game 4 The Bombers hosted the Nipawin Hawks in Game 4 last night, after The Reminder went to press. A Flin Flon win would have given the Bombers a 3-1 lead over the Hawks _ one victory away from taking the series. See 'Three...' on pg. 5 Continued from pg. 4 'If we can get a 3-1 lead in the series, that puts a lot of pressure on Nipawin,' Reagan said after Monday's game. 'That gives us three opportunities to close it out.' In the best-of-seven series, Reagan hopes the Bombers will not have to 'use all three' of their chances to seal the deal. '...but the odds are in your favour, that's for sure,' he said. Game 5 is set for tomorrow night in Nipawin. If necessary, the Bombers will host Game 6 on Saturday. If needed, the teams will play in Nipawin for Game 7 on Tuesday. Scoring Picking up markers for the Bombers Monday were Konrad Litke in the first at 1:08 with help from Dillan McCombie; Brett Penner in the second at 10:08 with help from Riley Storzuk and Danys Chartrand; Andy Blanke in the second at 10:31 short handed; Roach in the third at :17 with help from Penner and Storzuk; Brandt Weldon at 6:09 with help from Cole McCaig and Brody Robinson; Litke at 10:31 with helpers from McCombie and Robinson; and McCombie at 16:44 on a power play with help from Roach and Tanner Clark.
