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.
The lack of effort from the aspiring Flin Flon Bombers left the head coach disappointed last Wednesday night. Mike Reagan wasn't impressed with the 5-2 loss against the OCN Blizzard, played in Thompson, as he said the team was SOL "going through the motions" of the game. The Bombers played their second preseason game Ð one less than the Blizzard had played. "It was an okay (game)," said Reagan. "I was disappointed in the effort. I didn't think we competed as hard as we needed to." Reagan sent out another lineup of rookies to compete against the team from The Pas. "It was good for me," he said. "I got to find out who can't play at that level right now." Whether it's in the Whitney Forum or the Gordon Beard Arena in Thompson, Reagan says the quality of play shouldn't fluctuate. "You (have to) show up, it doesn't matter where," he said. Monday night, the Bombers hosted the Swan Valley Stampeders in their first preseason game. Though the Bombers were knocked down 4-1, there were many positive highlights for Reagan Ð including the Bombers outscoring the Stampeders 1-0 in the second and third period. But comparing the games, Reagan wasn't sure why his team played differently. "I don't know. I was disappointed in the effort, but I don't know why that was," he said. "The guys are just going through the motions," he said. The lineup was slightly different for the two games, though Reagan still kept mostly rookies on the ice. "The guys just didn't compete. They showed me who wanted to be here and who doesn't," he said. A highlight from Wednesday's game was the goaltending for the Bombers. "They played pretty well," said Reagan. The coach said there were one or two goals the team would like to have back, but he was still pleased with the situation. The Blizzard, who have been together one week longer than the Bombers, have had a chance to spend more time on their power play. And that was evident as the Blizzard earned four power play goals, as opposed to the Bombers two'. "They moved the puck well," Reagan said of OCN. "Their back end is strong and I was impressed with their (defence)." As the preseason continues, the Bombers will have more and more veterans enter the lineup. The Bombers traveled to Nipawin on Friday and then hosted the Hawks the following night. Tonight is the team's final exhibition game Ð the Blizzard are at the Whitney Forum. Before the Bombers hit the road for Nipawin, Reagan said he was slowly moving more experienced players into the game. "We're getting healthy now," he said. "We're going to get closer to the starting lineup for opening night." The regular season gets underway on Friday for the Bombers as they travel to Melfort before the Mustangs come to town Saturday for the Maroon and White home opener. "I'm excited. It's getting closer and closer," Reagan said. Health-wise, things are looking up for the Bombers. They haven't been healthy as many players have gone down with injuries, but it's going to be "nice to see some (of them) getting back in the lineup," said the coach.
