We are down to the final four in the SJHL, with the two semi final series set to start tomorrow.
For the second straight year, it will be the Flin Flon Bombers meeting the Weyburn Red Wings. Flin Flon advanced after sweeping the Estevan Bruins in four straight games while the Wings toppled the Nipawin Hawks in six.
The Wings knocked the Bombers off in 6 games last year after jumping out to a quick 3 to 0 series lead which included wins in Flin Flon at the Whitney Forum in games one and two.
Flin Flon did fight back to make a series out of it but dug themselves too big of a hole early.
This is a different season and these are two different teams from last year.
The Bombers arn't as lethal up front as they have been in the past but run four lines every night and feel that has led to their success this year. The Bombers finished first overall at 41-11-3-1 and an incredible 27-0-1 at home.
Weyburn was inconsistent at times but seemed to win a big game any time they needed to and finished fifth overall at 34-18-1-3. The stat that jumps out at me was that Weyburn had the second best road record at 16-9-3. They won four games at the Whitney Forum last season including the first two in last Spring's Semi Final.
Both teams score by committee with each team only having two scorers in the league's top 20 at the end of the season.
The Bombers Joey Lies finished 12th overall with 54 points in 48 games while Reid Arberry was 13th with 51 points in 52 games. Josh Sale was Weyburn's top scorer with 57 points in 54 games and finished 8th overall. Will Munro who came over from Melfort in a mid season trade finished 16th overall with 48 points in 52 games.
Both teams made significant moves this year with the Bombers making that blockbuster trade with the Humboldt Broncos back on January the 10th to bring in Charlie Tritt, Connor Miller and Ryder Knutson.
Those moves are paying off in the playoffs with Miller leading the team in goals in the post season with three. Tritt the top SJHL netminder from the regular season, has impressive numbers in the post season so far with a 3-0 record to go along with a shutout and GAA of 1.45 and save % of .939.
Weyburn has made some significant moves as well with the addition of the former Bomber Rylan Pearce who came to the Wings from the WHL'S Regina Pats.
Pearce had a great series against Nipawin and is second overall in playoff scoring with 9 points in 6 games including 4 goals. Weyburn was also able to land goaltender Joey Rocha who came from the WHL'S Swift Current Broncos.
Rocha is 4-2 in the playoffs with a 2.46 GAA and a .928 Save %.
Both these teams like to skate and there is a good history between these two teams which includes the famous Moose Leg incident from a few years back. All in all I am looking forward to some great playoff hockey between these two teams.
The big challenge for Flin Flon will be, how healthy are they entering this series? Flin Flon had 7 regulars out of their lineup in their series clinching win against Estevan. Hopefully the rest has done them some good.
Weyburn appears to be fairly healthy and have hit their stride at the right time.
It all begins tomorrow at the Whitney Forum with puck drop at 7:30pm. Game two on Saturday, with the series shifting back to Weyburn for games three and four next Tuesday and Wednesday at Whitecap Resources Centre.
All Bomber playoff games will be broadcast on 102.9 CFAR and flinflononline.com, with the SJHL Coach's Show to kick things off 20 minutes before puck drop.
