The Flin Flon Bombers got a big win over a regional rival Friday night, but will still end up in this year's first round play-in series.
Early offence snagged the Bombers a 3-1 win against the La Ronge Ice Wolves, ending the game with more than 60 shots on the Ice Wolves net.
Daylan Marchi snuck a puck past La Ronge goalie Jordan Frey late in the first to open the scoring. Donavan Houle-Villeneuve also added a pair of goals in the second period. Grant Longtin managed to get La Ronge on the board midway through the third, but the damage had been done.
Antoine Waked made 29 saves for the win, while Frey saw more rubber than a Michelin plant, making a whopping 63 saves on 66 shots in a losing effort.
In order to secure sixth place in the SJHL standings and avoid a spot in a risky play-in series, the Bombers had to win Friday against La Ronge, beat them again Saturday night and win again facing league-leading Melfort next week, while at the same time having Humboldt lose both of their last two games. Humboldt made that elementary Friday with a 3-1 win against Kindersley, pushing Flin Flon down into seventh spot and the play-in series with no chance of getting out.
The Bombers are guaranteed a seventh-place finish in the league this season, with eighth-placed Notre Dame nine points behind with only two games remaining.
As it stands now, the Bombers will face the number 10 seed in a best-of-three play-in series, likely starting next week. The Bombers will either the higher finisher of either Melville or Weyburn. Both teams are tied in the standings with 42 points with two games remaining, 27 points behind the Bombers in the standings.
The Bombers will be back in action in La Ronge Saturday and will wrap up the regular season at home Mar. 5 against the Mustangs.
