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.
It is perhaps the most famous statistic in NHL playoff history. We may not know off hand how many Conn Smythe trophies Wayne Gretzky won or who is the all-time post-season shutout leader, but we can all recite the number of times a team has come back from the seemingly insurmountable deficit of 3-0. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs managed to pull off such an incredible upset against the Detroit Red Wings. Then, 33 years later, the upstart New York Islanders accomplished the feat against the Pittsburgh Penguins. And that would be it. Only twice in the 93-year history of hockey's premier league has a team turned a 3-0 shortfall into a 4-3 nail-biting triumph. Four wins in a row against a team to which you just lost three straight is not quite mission: impossible, but it's pretty darn close. Our own Flin Flon Bombers found themselves in this formidable hole following Tuesday's overtime loss to the La Ronge Ice Wolves. Wednesday's game came down to OT again, and if not for Mathieu Lecours' heroics, fans would not be preparing to fill up the Whitney tonight for Game 5. The Bombers are embarking on either a once-in-a-lifetime comeback or a most disappointing windup to one of their most successful and promising seasons. Should it all end against La Ronge, a team that finished 12 points behind Flin Flon in the regular season, fans should not let the bitter taste in their mouths fester too long. As cheated as they may feel, they must also acknowledge how far their team has come in such a short time. In 2006-07, the Bombers were the worst team in the entire SJHL. They had some talent Ð not the most in the league by any stretch, mind you Ð but could never get their act together in any meaningful way. They lost 20 more games than they won with no imminent turnaround in sight. That summer, the organization searched for a new head coach to replace the affable Doug Stokes. Their surprise choice, former Bomber great Mike Reagan, brought questions, and doubts, from fans. Reagan had never been a head coach before, and his relative youth had some wondering whether he could command the authority demanded of a coach placed in charge of such young athletes. Three years later, the results speak for themselves. In the regular season, the Bombers are 44 games above .500 under Reagan and have lured some of the top players in the SJHL. Players coming to Flin Flon now know they will be part of a competitive club, and that can do nothing but aide recruiting. If the Bombers lose to La Ronge, some fans may be tempted to call for a major overhaul. That would be a mistake, as the group now in charge of the franchise deserves another opportunity to seal the deal and bring a championship back to Flin Flon. In hockey as in life, good things come to those who wait. Local Angle runs Fridays.
