The Flin Flon Bombers gave fans a taste of old time hockey Friday night, winning a physical 5-2 tilt against the Battlefords North Stars.
Two of the hottest teams in the league faced off at the Whitney Forum in a game that was rough and tumble from the start.
Chrystopher Collin got things started on the scoresheet with a goal only 2:38 into the game, but the Stars answered back courtesy of Braydon Buziak, who tied the game up shorthanded mere seconds later.
Collin was far from done, however. Later in the period, the forward pumped the puck past Stars goalie Joel Grzybowski for a second time, giving the Bombers the lead. A minute later, with a Stars player in the box serving a penalty Collin drew, he struck again, earning a hat-trick within the first 20 minutes.
After leading 3-1 after the first, Cade Kowalski extended the lead with another quick goal halfway through the second.
Not long after, players began butting heads. Bomber Matt Flodell dropped the gloves with Battlefords' Ryan Gil, sending both to the showers early. Minutes later, Tyler Higgins and Battlefords' Regan Doig did the same, also ending their evenings.
More tomfoolery followed in the third. Battlefords' Quintin Loon-Stewardson was ejected after his third stick penalty of the game, jawing at the Bomber bench while coasting to the dressing room. Stars player Garrett Johnson was tossed for a head hit on Collin, while another fight broke out between Bomber defenceman Mason Martin and Kaden Boser of the Stars.
In between the rowdiness, the teams also found time to score - Battlefords' Macgregor Sinclair beat Bomber netminder Gabriel Waked late in the third, while Caleb Moretz slid one into the empty net to seal a win for the Bombers.
One more set of ejections, with Bomber Ethan Daniels and Battlefords' Braydon Buziak, came late in the game, with Buziak smashing his stick against the boards in disgust on his way off the ice.
Waked made 34 saves in the win, while Grzybowski made 33 stops.
The Bombers have continued their push to the top of the SJHL standings, winning their eighth straight game. The Bombers now sit in sole position of second place overall in the SJHL and in the Sherwood Division with 58 points. The Nipawin Hawks lead the Bombers in both races with 64 points. Flin Flon currently leads the league in regulation wins, goals for and goal differential.
Ethan Daniels returned from his home in Alaska for his first game of the season, starting the game on the first line with former midget teammates Moretz and Alec Cokley. Daniels was held off the scoresheet but got fans out of their seats with some key bodychecks and defensive play.
