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 SJHL begins its second half tonight, and although the Bombers aren't in action until January 2, you can be sure the team is thinking about the importance of their remaining 19 games. The boys returned to Flin Flon on Tuesday and practices resumed yesterday morning. The remainder of the schedule is not friendly for Flin Flon. The Bombers will start 2005 with seven consecutive games against ITECH Conference teams, four on the road and three at home. They will play only seven home games, with 12 road dates left. It is a given that if the Bombers want to make the playoffs, they will have to beat the Melfort Mustangs all five times they play them, including three games on the road. If Melfort loses every single game remaining on their schedule, the Bombers would need seven wins to catch the Mustangs, five against the Mustangs and two others. While it is conceivable that the Bombers can put together seven wins, it is not likely that Melfort will lose all of their remaining games. So here is the magic number: any combination of 11 Melfort wins or Flin Flon losses will eliminate the Bombers from the playoffs. That doesn't leave a lot of room for errors, especially with 12 road games left, and the fact that the Bombers have yet to win a road game doesn't help their cause. Also complicating things is the January 10 trade deadline. The Bombers have three games before the deadline, and if they don't make some ground on the Mustangs by then, it is quite possible that any number of 20-year-old players will be moved. Andrew Skrabek would be a nice addition to any contending team. Veteran defenseman Rylan Zakreski is also a name being tossed around as experienced blueliners are hard to find this year. Bob Graham could be another name mentioned in trade talks, as well as Stewart Sjoberg who has played his entire junior career as a Bomber. Goaltender Francois Laverdiere has been playing better hockey lately, and could also be considered. Coming up, the Bombers will be in La Ronge to kick off 2005 on January 2 with a 5 p.m. game. They will be in Battleford on Friday, January 7 and in Kindersley on Saturday, January 8. Their next home game will be January 11, when the Nipawin Hawks are in town. The Melfort Mustangs will be making a stop in Flin Flon for a pair of games on January 14 and 15, and if the Bombers can put together a couple of wins before then, these will easily be the most important games of the season. 12/30/2004
