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.
After losing in Melville last week, the Bombers had something to prove as they faced the Millionaires at the Whitney Forum this past weekend. Showing them who's boss, the Maroon and White took down the visitors 5-3 to split the two-game series one apiece. The Bombers were up 1-0 going into the dressing room after the first period. They followed that up with two goals early on in the second period. Mike Rey (Patrick Sitko, Devin Mitzner) put up the team's first goal at the 16:38 mark of the first period on a power play Ð giving them the motivation they needed in the first intermission. Things quickly became rough as six fights broke out throughout the game Ð although that wasn't 100 per cent unexpected. "Well anytime you play against Melville, they've got a big hockey club," said head coach and GM Mike Reagan. "And they try to intimidate you physically." The Bombers had a good run, though, as Dougie McLeod, Mathieu Lecours, Ben Bitz, Jeff Lorenz and Jesse Mychan were all sent to the penalty box Ð or removed from the game Ð for fighting. Getting back to the ice, the game remained physical, as Reagan knew it would be. "I didn't expect as many fights as there were," he said. "...I probably missed three fights because I was talking to guys on the bench and all of a sudden I look up and there is guys going at it. "So I wasn't expecting this many fights, but I knew it was going to be physical." When it came to the fights Ð initiated by players from both teams Ð the coach says as long as there is reason behind a fight, it is okay in his books. "Im fine with it, I mean under the circumstances and the way the game went," he said. One fight that stood out in his mind involved Mitzner, who took on Cody Hanson. "I thought the guy deserved it. He took a cheap shot at one of our guys and you (have) to stick up for your teammates," he said. Mitzner, who dropped his gloves for fellow Bomber Ben Bitz, was given five minutes for fighting as well as two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. "A guy like Bitzy, who does so much for our team, will do anything for anybody Ð it's nice to see one of our other guys stick up for him," said Reagan. The Whitney Forum was a rowdy place Saturday night as the second period offered two quick goals from the Bombers against the Millionaires. The first goal Ð earned by Dominic Martel (Rey, David Dykstra) was awarded after the referees deliberated for a few minutes on whether the puck crossed the line. After the discussion, the Bombers were given their second goal of the night Ð at the 16-second mark. Just to make sure it was a known fact he could find the back of the net, Martel scored another goal Ð this time at the 44-second mark Ð with help from Rey and Dykstra. By the end of the third period, both teams had fired off 37 shots and the Bombers remained in the lead 3-0. Saturday offered a number of opportunities for the Bombers that they did not capitalize on. As well, the team had nine power play opportunities, scoring on only one of them. "It's something we haven't done a real good job of this year and maybe we're going to have to change it up just because of the personnel we have out there," he said. Making note that the power play system has worked for the past three seasons, the coach says things are going to have to change to adapt to the guys on the ice this year. "We looked out of sync tonight. The guys were scared to shoot the puck," he said. "Andrew Johnston was standing right out front of the net and he tried to dish the puck when he should be shooting. He's not the only one, there were many guys who had opportunities to shoot the puck and didn't." But it all comes back to playing the systems. "Sometimes, you'll have really skilled guys who can make all these plays and sometimes you have to keep it simple and put the pucks in the net," says Reagan. Next for the Bombers was a game against the Humboldt Broncos on Tuesday night, at the Whitney Forum.
