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.
Flin Flon Bombers coach-GM Doug Stokes wanted at least a split on their four-game road trip. Instead, he and his team saw their losing streak extended from two games to six. "I don't even know what to say," said Stokes on Monday. The road trip started with a 8-1 thumping at the hands of the Humboldt Broncos. Then on Friday and Saturday, the Battlefords North Stars handed it to them 6-1 and 8-1 respectively. Sunday ended with the Kindersley Klippers blanking them 4-0. In the four games, the Bombers were outscored 26-3. During the last three games the Bombers were outshot 49-30, 38-30, and 31-26. Bombers captain Blake Rolston said the team just couldn't capitalize on their chances. "I think in Humboldt we played awful and the same in Battlefords for the first game," Rolston said. "Sunday we were working hard, but couldn't capitalize on chances and they got good bounces. "I think everyone is a little upset in the room," he explained. "We have a lot of character and we'll be all right." To him it's just a matter of working hard. Thus far in the season Stokes has emphasized the importance of special teams. In the final three games, opponents went 6-35 on the power play, which means a quarter of the opposition's goals came on the man advantage. The Bombers went 1-24 and are now tied for last with Yorkton at 12.8 per cent. Bombers goalie Mike Nichol said the team isn't able to come back from a deficit, with the big problem being the lack of offence. "It was a good thing to play Battlefords and see where we're at," Nichol said. "We weren't playing as well even when winning." Nichol felt the Bombers were a little overmatched, as the North Stars do the little things right. Veteran defenceman Bradey Fidierchuk said once the team got down a goal or two, they couldn't get back in. "I don't know what to say. It seemed like we lost all hope," Fidierchuk said. Nichol said the team has no identity and added that "we don't know to how to be successful."
