The impact the Flin Flon Bombers’ power play can have on a game is pretty big.
“It’s huge, especially with our team speed,” Flin Flon assistant coach Garry Childerhose said. “If we keep our feet moving, we’ll be able to draw penalties. … We can be pretty scary on the power play.”
The Bombers are second in the SJHL in power-play efficiency, as of Jan. 1, at 23.5 per cent. Battlefords is just a touch better at 23.6 per cent. Flin Flon leads the league in road power-play efficiency at 24.7 and is fourth at home with 22.5 per cent.
“Our power play can be very dangerous and it should be with the players that we have,” Bombers head coach Mike Reagan said. “I think we need to be a threat every time we get a power play. Some nights it’s off and that needs to be a given that every night our power play is going to be good.
“We’re not going to score every power play but we would like to have a 25 per cent success rate and the other 75 per cent we generate momentum. We can’t lose momentum because of it.”
In December, Flin Flon scored a stunning five power-play goals in nine opportunities against Kindersley. Last weekend the Bombers were four-for-10 combined on the power play in a pair of wins over La Ronge.
“Our power play was really good, which is key going forward,” Reagan said of the games against La Ronge.
With talented players and a straight-forward yet effective philosophy, the Bombers make teams pay for taking penalties. Childerhose said the keys to the Flin Flon power play are “getting pucks and bodies to the net. Just quick puck movements and keeping it simple.”
Players take pride in earning a role on the power play.
“My favourite part about being on the power play is the opportunity to produce for the team,” said Kristian St. Onge, who leads the Bombers with eight power-play goals. “Power plays can make or break a game, so it’s an exciting challenge to be one of the guys relied on to score goals.”
Just like the team itself, another key to the Bombers’ power play is its depth. Eleven Flin Flon players have scored a power-play marker this season. In early December, the squad exhibited its power-play depth when Jason Lavallee was injured and Brandon Lesko, who has seven power-play goals this season, was playing for Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta.
Childerhose noted that other players stepped up, including recently acquired Bombers such as Jordan McCausland and Tyler Nyman.
“Anyone on the power play can score and with great puck movement and having the whole unit work together it really makes an influence on how strong our power play has been as of late,” Flin Flon forward Nick Shumlanski said.
St. Onge and Lesko are ranked fourth and eighth in the SJHL in power-play goals. Lavallee and defenceman Eric Sinclair all have five power-play goals.
Rylee Zimmer sits seventh in the league with 13 power-play assists while Shumlanski (12) and Greyson Reitmeier (11) are also in the top 11.
