How do you follow a game where you score seven goals and win? If you're the Flin Flon Bombers, you score eight and win again.
The Bombers disposed of the La Ronge Ice Wolves in another edition of the Hanson Lake Road rivalry, winning 8-5 in the team's home opener in front of more than 1,400 fans.
After a special ceremony, a moment of silence in honour of the Humboldt Broncos and a ceremonial puckdrop with Bomber legend Gerry Hart, Flin Flon and La Ronge got to work. Debuting new throwback third jerseys based on the Flin Flon Hockey Club's first uniforms in 1927, the Bombers started slowly and heated up down the stretch.
La Ronge opened the scoring, with Jake Gudjonson deflecting a point shot past Bomber goalie Pierce Diamond. Then, late in the first, Bomber captain Nate Hooper got down to business, scoring two highlight-reel goals minutes apart to give the Bombers a 2-1 lead after 20.
Caleb Moretz picked up where Hooper left off in the second, streaking down the wing and beating La Ronge goalie Jordan Frey cleanly. Zach Bannister added a goal for La Ronge later in the period on another deflection.
To start the third period, Donavan Houle-Villeneuve got on the board with a pair of fast goals. Tanner Brewster added one for La Ronge, but two poor plays by the Ice Wolves put the Bombers back on the board right after. First, Alec Cokley scored on a shot that went wide, bounced off the boards, hit Frey and trickled in, then Daylan Marchi scored shorthanded after a La Ronge turnover right in front of Frey.
Late goals by Antonio Di Paolo and Jordan Mish helped stop the bleeding for the Ice Wolves, but Caleb Moretz scored an empty net goal to seal it for Flin Flon.
Pierce Diamond made 23 saves for his second win in as many nights, while Jordan Frey impressed in a game where he faced almost a shot a minute on average, making 47 stops.
After two games, the Bombers have found a first line that is already in midseason form - Brandson Hein, Hooper and Houle-Villeneuve. In the first two games, the trio have combined for a whopping 18 points, scoring eight of the team's 15 goals. Defenseman Calvon Boots also added six assists in two games. The four Bombers lead the SJHL scoring chart after the first two games.
The Bombers will be back in action against the Nipawin Hawks on Sept. 21 and 22, playing the first match at home before heading south to face the Hawks at "The Cage" in Nipawin.
