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.
SASKATOON- Fatigue was the nemesis for the Flin Flon Bombers against the Humboldt Broncos. The Bombers lost a close game 6-4 in Credit Union Arena on Sunday in their final Saskatoon Showcase matchup. "Being our first three games in three days, that (fatigue) might have played a bit of a factor, but that's not an excuse," Bomber coach Ryan Hoffman says. "We weren't the only team that played three in three days and we'll do that a number of times this year. "I thought we lacked a little bit of jump yesterday (Sunday) and again playing on the bigger sheet, the game is a bit slower out there, for both teams," he says. "When you're playing on that small rink it's maybe three strides to get in on the forecheck and bang a body, but when you're playing in the big rink it's five, you're not able to get there that much." One of the bright spots was that the Bombers scored first, something they hadn't done in their previous four games. It was an uphill battle from there as the Bombers couldn't manage a tie. "I thought we were pretty resilient," says Hoffman. "When we did get down we definitely didn't give up, we kept working and we had some chances on that powerplay late in the third." The pressure the Bombers put on the Broncos in the third was steady. For the Broncos, securing the victory had to have been as hard as someone trying to get rid of that pesky mosquito that just doesn't go away. When it looked like the Bombers may have been done, they digged deeper. It was the line of captain Clayton Geiger, Richard Dupre and Andrew Leslie who kept the hopes alive. Dupre scored an even strength goal with just under half the period remaining in the third, then Geiger scored a clutch goal on the powerplay. "Their defenseman tried to dump it out of the end and he took a slap shot and hit me in the ankle," explains Geiger, "so the puck bounced up and I dumped it down into the corner and I wasn't sure if I should rush off for a change or not because I was pretty sore, but our winger threw it up top and the defenseman pulled the puck to the middle and shot and missed the net. I just went to the far side and seen it rebound out (off the boards) and put it in." That play showed great awareness by the Bombers' captain, who gave his team a fighting chance. That opportunity came in the last four minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the team simply couldn't get the lucky bounce they needed. The Bombers' powerplay went one for 10, while they only allowed the Broncos to score once. "Yeah, our PK (penalty-killing) has been pretty strong all year actually," Hoffman says. "In exhibition it really struggled, but I think once we got things settled down here in the regular season, we've done a good job." The Bomber coach added that special teams will be huge, especially when they go to Battleford this weekend. The Bombers penalty-kill is 5-28 for 82 per cent. "Their powerplay is running at a ridiculous rate (11-37 for 29 per cent)," he says. "So we're gonna have to be real sharp." With the Bombers constantly having to fight their way back into games, they could almost be called the comeback kids. Now all they have to do is finish the job. The Bombers' next game is in Kindersley versus the Klippers on September 30.
