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.
Typically a high-scoring team, the Flin Flon Bombers are struggling to put the puck in the net at home this year. The Bombers haven't quite found their offensive touch at the Whitney Forum and head coach and GM Mike Reagan says it's 'frustrating.' 'Scoring has been such a big issue and we never thought it would be for us,' said Reagan following last Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Estevan Bruins. 'I can't explain it right now why we're struggling so bad to score goals.' Flin Flon and Estevan were scoreless until the third period when the Bruins beat goaltender Devin Buffalo to take a 1-0 lead at 6:04 on a power play. That goal would stand as the lone marker until 19:38 when the Bruins sealed the deal with a short-handed goal on an empty net. The Bombers battled hard but a win wasn't in the cards. 'I thought that we were the better team five-on-five, especially in the early going,' said Reagan. The Bombers had plenty of opportunities in the first period. They managed 10 shots on goaltender Matt Gibney but had nearly as many misses. 'We were in their end probably 75 per cent of the time in the first period and (just) didn't bury any of our chances,' Reagan said. Puck luck wasn't on the Maroon and White's side as they hit the crossbar a few times as well as a post. 'We missed probably seven or eight shots in the first period alone,' Reagan said. 'You can't score if you don't hit the net.' Reagan says the frustration level is growing as the scoring dwindles for the team. On the flip side, Reagan says he's impressed with his team's defensive play this season. 'We don't give up a lot of goals, but the problem is we don't score a lot of goals (either),' he said. The coach says a 'killer instinct going into the third period' is key for a team to win low-scoring games. '...and our guys seem to be a little blah,' he said. 'It's very blah right now in our dressing room.' The Bombers have fared well on the road this season as they recently returned from a four-game road trip with a .500 record. But the Whitney Forum is proving to be a challenging place to play. 'It's just been at home that we seem to struggle,' the coach said, 'which is uncharacteristic for this team.' The Bombers often haven't exhibited the same level of intensity on home ice as in years past. 'We're 3-3 at home and that's not acceptable,' said Reagan. Unbeatable Last season, the Bombers were unbeatable on home ice to start the year. They went more than a dozen games at the Whitney before losing. 'You have to win hockey games in the Whitney Forum,' Reagan said. 'It's got to be a tough building (for opponents) to play in.' Thursday's 2-0 loss put the Bombers one game below .500 for the season with a record of 5-6-0-0. Flin Flon faced off against the Notre Dame Hounds the following night and Reagan said it would be a big game for them. 'We need to win tomorrow night,' said the coach. 'If there is a must-win early on in the season, it's tomorrow night.' Winning Friday's game against the Notre Dame Hounds would move the Bombers back to .500 whereas a loss would put them two games below that level. 'The guys have to hopefully rise to the occasion and we'll see what our guys are made of _ our mental toughness,' Reagan said. The Bombers have found themselves in quite a few one-goal games this season and Reagan says they need to find a way to be on the winning side more often. 'That's the way it is in playoff hockey, right,' he said. 'So, if we have to play one-goal hockey games throughout the season, then we'll be ready for that.' But currently the team has shaky confidence. 'We just need a couple guys to have a couple big games and that will change,' Reagan said. In previous seasons, the Bombers have been a high-scoring team. And Reagan says past seasons to do come up in conversation with this year's team when it comes to playing style. 'I take a look at guys who we were expecting to score this year and they just haven't been able to bury for us,' he said. Looking at the situation optimistically, Reagan says he'd rather see the club with this 'problem early on in the season than later on.' For now, the Bombers will continue to 'fight through this adversity...and hope that we turn the corner,' said the coach. The Bombers are back on the road tomorrow as they travel to Nipawin before making their way to Humboldt on Wednesday.
