Wayne Gretzky said you miss 100 per cent of the shots you don't take. The Melville Millionaires didn't get that memo, as they only put up four shots in the first period, and four shots in the third period en route to a 6-2 loss to the Flin Flon Bombers on Oct. 18. The Millionaires finished with 16 shots in the game, outshot by 26.
The game was a physical and chippy affair throughout, with six players between the teams kicked out for fighting. Flin Flon had to play the entire final frame without two-thirds of their top line, when Cole Rafuse and Donavan Houle-Villeneuve were tossed in the second period.
The Bombers jumped out to an early lead when captain Mason Martin cashed in on the powerplay. Martin was set up for a one timer, and unloaded. With his initial shot blocked, Martin cooly picked up the rebound, and sent a quick wrister past Melville starting goalie Kaleb McEachern. Martin is thriving on Flin Flon's first powerplay unit, with nine points on the season. He's already doubled his SJHL career goalscoring mark just 12 games into the season.
The Bombers kept up the pressure in the first period, pinning Melville inside their defensive zone for long stretches at even strength, and eventually Cole Rafuse was rewarded. Houle-Villeneuve picked up the puck inside the faceoff circle, drew two defenders in, and moved the puck to Rafuse near the goalline. Rafuse patiently slipped the puck past a sprawling McEarchen.
Early in the second period, the Houle-Villeneuve and Rafuse combination struck pay dirt again. This time, Houle-Villeneuve grabbed the puck in the corner, and looked like he was going to simply feed the puck back to the point. Instead he whipped a cross ice pass through two Mellvile players to Rafuse, who made no mistake, one-timing home his second of the game.
Melville got on the board as well in the second, when defenseman Payton Jerome jumped up into a rush, turning a three on two into a four on two. The Millionaires found the extra pass, and Jacob Delorme had no chance to stop the ninth shot of the night, and Flin Flon led 3-1.
Both teams had no qualms with hitting or jousting after the whistle, and eventually the physical play boiled over when Chase Haygarth and Dylan Wells dropped the mitts after Wells laid a clean bodycheck. Both players threw solid strikes during the tilt, which had no clear winner.
The fight did little to cool tempers. When Houle-Villeneuve fell on top of the puck with 30 seconds to go in the second period, he took exception to a Melville player poking him. He swiped at one of the two Millionaires standing over him while getting to his skates. That innocuous play with under a minute left in the second period turned into a line brawl, with everyone on the ice partnering up, and seven players in the penalty box.
Houle-Villeneuve and Rafuse would have their nights ended there, and Luke Nkwama and Jacob Bourchier were also sent in early for the Millionaires. Both captains also earned 10 minute misconducts in the fracas.
Without their top offensive threats available for the rest of the night, and Melville's third leading scorer, Nkwama, in the dressing room, neither team could get much going early in the third period. The ejections did open up opportunity for new players to get some special teams actions, and Caleb Franklin took advantage, scoring his first of the season to push Flin Flon's lead to three.
Melville was stifled in both the first and third periods, and Jacob Delorme was in tough facing a prime chance from Luke Spadafora with three minutes to go in the final period. Spadafora was able to skate into the slot untouched, and beat Delorme with Melville's third shot of the third period.
The comeback attempt would be short-lived, as only 25 seconds later, Billy Klymchuk had the easiest goal of his SJHL career, a breakaway while the Millionaires goalie was pulled. Brandon Cianflone completed the scoring for Flin Flon, this time with McEarchen in the net, making the final score 6-2.
The Bombers and Melville will renew hostilities tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.
QUICK HITS
The Whitney Forum had a good crowd for the first game of the doubleheader against Melville. The Bombers welcomed parents from across their roster to the forum for the annual parent's weekend. The 50/50 draw was over $4,000.
Despite an 8-3-2 record, the Bombers are stuck in third place in the Sherwood division, behind Nipawin and Melfort. The Sherwood division is a buzzsaw this year, as Flin Flon is fourth in the overall SJHL standings.
On the injury front, head coach Mike Reagan said recently named assistant captain Matt Flodell will only be out this weekend. He anticipates Jack Michell to be back in a week, and while Tristen Lemyre, is skating, he'll still be out at least two more weeks.
It's less positive news for new Bomber Ryan Moon. Moon aggravated the injury which kept him out of action most of last year in the BCHL, and is out long term.
