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 Wednesday's showing by the Flin Flon Bombers was less than inspirational as they were beat 4-2 by the Melville Millionaires. Two rough periods left the Maroon and White with an 'extremely frustrated' head coach and GM Mike Reagan. 'I was ready just to leave. I didn't want to talk to anybody _ I just wanted to get the hell out of Dodge,' he said. The Bombers lost control in the first and second periods at the Whitney Forum, but picked up the pace in the third. Reagan says the team skated through the first and second and 'were just playing enough to get by.' 'I think that's where the frustration is right now. We're only putting together 20 or 30 minutes of a game and it's not good enough as this level,' said Reagan. The Bombers and Millionaires were tied 2-2 with just 16 seconds left in the game. But Melville got the puck past Brandon Wildung to take the lead once more. With one second on the clock, Melville earned an empty net goal to make it a 4-2 game. 'This is the result of only playing half a game,' said the coach. The Bombers started the season strong both at home and on the road. At the Whitney Forum, the Maroon and White won their first 13 games before taking a loss to the Nipawin Hawks in late November. On the road, the Bombers are .500 with their longest winning streak being three games. The month of December has not been kind to the Bombers. 'It hasn't been a good month for us, that's for sure,' said Reagan. 'We have to find a way to get these guys out of this funk.' Flin Flon has split the month of December. The team picked up a win against the Estevan Bruins on home ice. Last weekend, the Hawks and Bombers split their road-home series with a win apiece. Wednesday's loss put the Bombers at .500 for the month. Previous to December, the Bombers went on a three-game losing skid to the Hawks, North Stars and Broncos. Serious Practice Wednesday's effort calls for a serious practice for the Bombers. 'Tomorrow, we're going to work on our work ethic and the boys are going to wish that they played for three periods tonight,' Reagan said after the game. 'They're going to play two periods in practice tomorrow, that's for sure.' Reagan says he isn't panicking about the situation but knows it needs a solution. '...I'm not worried that we're not (the) team that I think we've got. I think it's just the wake-up call these guys need to get back into it,' said Reagan. 'It's all about hard work. Sometimes, just one of those practices where it's all about work ethic is what you need.' The coach says he hoped yesterday's practice would be a good wake-up call and will 'turn things around for us and hopefully you'll see a different team on Saturday.' The Bombers host the Notre Dame Hounds Saturday in their final home game of the 2012 portion of the season. The Bombers will embark on a road trip of four games in five days before the Christmas break. Starting Tuesday, the Bombers will travel to La Ronge and then the Battlefords the following night. Friday and Saturday will see Flin Flon in Kindersley for a double header. 'I expect us to win these next five games,' said Reagan. 'I think that we have given away games this past month and it's not acceptable.' See 'Game...' on pg. 5 Continued from pg. 4 Positive Thoughts Wednesday's game wasn't a complete loss for the Bombers as Reagan says he was impressed with the third period. 'I was extremely happy with the way we played in the third. Those are the types of periods we should be having,' said the bench boss. It's been said many times that the SJHL is a competitive league that is not to be taken lightly. Reagan says there isn't a chance for teams to coast. 'We can't take nights off, shifts off, or periods off. I was happy with the way we responded in the (last) period,' he said. Speed and Size Forward Kevin Lacroix joined the Bombers at the December trade deadline. 'I love Kevin's speed and size,' said Reagan. 'I think he'll be a guy that is going...to help us. 'He's got to get comfortable with new linemates and new systems, and it's going to take some time. 'Once he gets familiar with everything, then I think he's going to be a real good player for us.' The Bombers also picked up Alex Roberts at the trade deadline. In his second shift of his first game with the Bombers, Roberts left with an injury. 'He's a big kid, we just haven't seen what he's capable of doing,' Reagan said of the forward.
