It was a weekend for the ages for the Flin Flon Bombers who took 4 points against the power house Humboldt Broncos.
The Bombers had to do it coming from behind both nights. On Friday, the Maroon and White had to come back from two, 3 goal deficits.
New comer Oliver Philips put Humboldt up 2-0 early in the first period before the Bombers Maverick Deslisle responded . It looked like it was going to be the Bronco’s night with veteran Jeter Korte scoring with just 3 seconds left in the opening period to stun the Whitney Forum crowd and make it 3 to 1 after one.
Humboldt kept their foot on the gas pedal and scored a short handed goal early in the frame, when the Bomber’s turned over a puck just outside their blue line, and Owen Chapman went in on a break away and scored.
Flin Flon never panicked and answered the short handed goal with a powerplay marker from Joey Lies , for his team leading 10th of the season. That goal seemed to spark the team and the crowd.
The Broncos answered just over a minute later when league leader Jacob Strizzi potted his 17th of the season.
Down three goals once again, you got the sense that the Bombers weren’t out of the game with a considerable amount of time left on the clock. Flin Flon made a goaltending change when Head Coach Mike Reagan decided to let rookie Matt Bradley enter the game for starter Devin Peck. Peck had a tough night giving up 5 goals on 12 shots but didn’t have a lot of help.
Jack Martin would add his 4th of the year to get the Bombers a little closer at 5 to 3 after two.
Flin Flon came out flying in the third and scored three more times with a pair of goals from Reid Arberry including his second of the night which tied the game with only 44 seconds remaining at 6. The other Bomber goal came from Joey Lies who scored his second of the night and 11th of the season.
Humboldt got a third period goal from Brayden Skogstad. Over time settled nothing and for the second straight meeting these two teams would have to go to a shoot-out.
Matt Bradley was superb in relief of Peck and stopped 14 of 15 shots in two periods of work and all three shooters in the shoot out, to help his team collect the victory. Home town product Joey Lies was the only player to score in the shoot out, when he flipped a high shot over Bronco netminder Nick Kotai’s left shoulder to give Flin Flon the 7 to 6 win.
This sent the Whitney Forum into a frenzy including a strong contingent of the Lies family who were in attendance on Friday.
Flin Flon went back with Matt Bradley between the pipes on Saturday as these two teams squared off for the fourth and final time this year.
Once again Humboldt started strong and grabbed a two nothing lead after one on goals from Logan Flint and Connor Miller. The Broncos did a good job of blocking shots and getting in lanes and not allowing Flin Flon to do much offensively.
The Bombers regrouped and came out and played two sensational periods and eventually got rewarded for their hard work. I am not sure if it was the fact it was Parent’s Weekend or what, but Flin Flon were not going to denied this night.
Flin Flon got the only goal in the second when Nathan Lalumiere jumped on a loose puck in the Broncos crease.
The Bombers kept coming in the third and new comer Daniel Morozov who just got reassigned from the WHL, scored a nice wrist shot from the high slot to get the Bombers within one.
Flin Flon took advantage of a late powerplay and once again Maverick Deslisle was the hero, firing home his second of the weekend and 8th of the season.
This stood up as the game winner with the Bombers winning another tight one 3 to 2 to the delight of all the parents and rest of the fans at the Whitney Forum.
Bradley was good again and ended up with 25 saves on 27 shots while Bronco veteran Charlie Tritt suffered the loss giving up 3 goals on 46 shots.
A big weekend in the standings as the Bombers leap frogged the Nipawin Hawks for fourth overall at 12-6-0-1, good for 25 points. Flin Flon is only 4 points behind the league leading Kindersley Klippers and have three games in hand. Humboldt remains second overall at 13-5-0-1.
Next up for the Maroon and White will be there first ever trip to Warman to play the Wolverines who just upset Weyburn in their building on Saturday night.
Games are Tuesday and Wednesday this week at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex and both games will start at 7pm. The Bombers will then play the Melfort Mustangs in a home and home on Friday and Saturday, for a busy week.
