While the SJHL postseason doesn’t start until March, the Flin Flon Bombers are most definitely in playoff mode.
The team has nine games remaining. Each and every one could play a major role in determining who the Bombers face in the playoffs and whether they have home-ice advantage.
“The next few weeks are critical in determining where we sit in the standings at the end of the season,” Bombers captain Tyson Empey said. “Home ice is very important in the playoffs and as of now us, Melfort and Nipawin all have a shot at first in the Sherwood Division.”
The Bombers are looking to win their division and earn one of the top three seeds. They also seek to avoid finishing lower than fourth, which would mean the loss of home ice for the quarterfinals.
Heading into Tuesday’s game in Yorkton, the Bombers had won three straight, including a pair of home victories last week.
This week is big for Flin Flon with three games – a possible six points on the table – including a matchup against Sherwood Division-leading Melfort.
The Bombers were in Yorkton on Tuesday, after The Reminder went to press, and are in Melville tonight, Wednesday. This weekend they host Melfort on Saturday.
Wins early in the week would mean a victory on Saturday would pull the Bombers within a point of the Mustangs.
“Right now we are focused on playing ourselves into a position to catch Melfort,” Flin Flon head coach Mike Reagan said.
Of Flin Flon’s nine remaining games, five are at home. Bombers forward Joel Kocur said a large, noisy crowd at the Whitney Forum can make a difference for his team.
“I think it’s very important,” Kocur said. “We feed off the energy and it gives you that extra gear during the games. It doesn’t compare to playing anywhere else and makes it hard on other teams coming to the zoo.”
Added Reagan: “When the guys come out and see 800 people, they are jacked up to play that game.”
The first round of the playoffs features the wild-card series with the league’s seventh-place team playing No. 10 and eight taking on nine. The winners move on to the quarterfinals, which is where the Bombers’ postseason will start.
SJHL division winners are seeded one to three by record for the quarterfinals. The rest of the teams, including the wild-card winners, are also seeded. Teams one through four have home-ice advantage.
Melfort (32-13-3-2) leads the Sherwood Division with 69 points, while Nipawin (29-16-2-1) is third with 61. Excluding their game Tuesday night, the La Ronge Ice Wolves were a distant fourth – but in a playoff spot – with 46 points.
Winning the division would mean the Bombers would take on a squad seeded sixth, seventh or eighth for the quarterfinals.
If the Bombers don’t win the division, they are fighting for the fourth or fifth seed. Heading into Tuesday’s game, Flin Flon held a one-point lead over Nipawin for fourth place and home ice in the quarterfinals.
Sixth-place Estevan sat further back with 53 points, excluding their game Tuesday.
“Our primary goal is to make sure we have the home-ice advantage in the first round,” Reagan said.
