It was another terrific weekend of hockey between the two SJHL power houses as the Flin Flon Bombers and Battleford Stars split the weekend series at the Whitney Forum.
On Friday, the Bombers pulled out the 5 to 3 win. The Bombers saw a two goal lead disappear as the Stars were able to tie the game mid way through the third.
If it wasn't for Harmon Laser Hume and an incredible save in a goal line scramble, Flin Flon may not have pulled out Friday's win. The Bombers rode the momentum and got a short handed goal from Alexi Sylvestre which proved to be the game winner.
Jacob Vockler added a goal with less than a minute left for a little extra insurance. The other Bomber goals came from Carter Anderson who scored a pair including his 34th and 35th and the home town captain Justin Lies who netted his 36th.
The Battleford goals came from Jordan Grill, Bradley Blake and Hunter Burgeson. Harmon Laser Hume out duelled Matthew MacArthur and made 38 saves for his league leading 26th win of the year.
Saturday was even more explosive and the Stars wouldn't be denied this night and picked up a wild 8 to 6 win.
The Stars came out to play and scored two quick goals before the game was even 5 minutes old courtesy of Evan Waldie and SJHL leading scorer Kian Bell.
This game had all kinds of ebb and flows and momentum shifts throughout the entire game and was the most exciting game that I have personally witnessed in a long time.
Bomber captain, Justin Lies was able to convert on the powerplay with a pefect shot top corner on Stars netminder Logan Cunningham to cut the deficit to 2-1 after 1.
The Stars kept coming and restored the two goal lead when Jackson Allan scored a powerplay goal of his own.
Flin Flon looked like they might be in business when they scored 4 of the next 5 including two more powerplay goals from Jacob Vockler and Noah Houle. Alexi Sylvestre then scored a pair which gave Flin Flon a brief lead at 5 to 4.
The lead lasted just over a minute as sharp shooter Ben Portner scored on a wrap around to tie the game at 5 with exactly one minute left in the second period.
It was all Stars in the third as Hunter Burgeson would get his second in as many games and Alex Izyk and Josh Medernach also found the back of the net. Bomber captain scored his second powerplay goal of the game and is back in the league with 38 on the season.
A couple of goal posts on a late Flin Flon powerplay, but they couldn't get any closer and dropped just their fourth of the year in regulation 8 to 6.
The Bomber powerplay was smokin and wound up 4 for 6 while the Stars could only bury 1 goal on 7 chances.
Kenny Marquart suffered his first regulation loss of the year and gave up 7 goals on 37 shots before making way for Harmon Laser Hume who came in relief and stopped 3 of 3. The Stars added a late empty net goal.
Logan Cunningham picked up the win and ended up with 39 saves on 45 shots.
The weekend lived up to all the hype and if these two teams to meet up in the playoffs it could go down as one of the most historic playoff series of all time. They have already clashed in some memorable playogff matchups, but this looks like it may end up as the most entertaining of them all.
After the weekend split the Bombers sit at 40-4-2 and 82 points. The Stars are now 33-10-3-1 and are 12 points behind Flin Flon for first overall.
The Bombers have exactly 10 games left and only 3 at the Whitney Forum. They hit the road for a big three game road trip starting Thursday in Humboldt and a pair of games in Kindersley on Friday and Saturday.
Hard to believe, but this is Flin Flon's first visit to the Elgar Petersen Arena this year and beat the Broncos in all three meetings earlier this year at the Whitney Forum. This could be another possible playoff meeting and the Bombers better be ready.
