The Bombers' winning streak has hit double digits. A 4-1 victory over Battlefords Friday night was Flin Flon's 10th W in a row.
Flin Flon jumped up the SJHL's standings with a road win over a close rival, taking over early and keeping the Stars' offence at bay.
The Bombers' offence poured it on thick immediately, putting 11 shots on the Stars' net before the home team managed two. Joey Lies took a shot on net that bounced off Stars forward Josh Knittig, onto the blade of Keefe Gruener and into the net in short order, opening the scoring. Rhett Ewen got on the board soon after, finishing off a tic-tac-toe passing play from Anthony Piccininno and Reid Arberry, tapping the puck past Stars goalie Justen Maric. Flin Flon led 2-0 after the first.
Flin Flon extended the lead in the second, with Carter Cormier jumping on another passing play near the net, knocking the puck in past Maric mere feet from the goalline. The Stars got one back, with Jace Rask getting the last touch on a slick passing play past Flin Flon's Matt Kieper, but Battlefords' offence was anemic and their defence couldn't keep the Bombers away.
In the third period, the Bombers sealed the win. With a pair of Stars in the box, Gruener got a stick on a shot from Leighton Carruthers, tipping it home past Maric. Maric made some big saves to keep it close, especially in the third period, but even one of the SJHL's best goalies could not keep the Bombers at bay.
Kieper had a light night in the Bomber crease, saving only 20 shots in the win. Maric made 39 stops in a losing cause, facing more than twice as many shots as Kieper did.
With the win, the Bombers pulled even into second place with both the Stars and the idle Yorkton Terriers, each with 33 points. According to SJHL tiebreakers, the Bombers now sit in second place overall - when teams are tied in points, the SJHL gives the team with more wins in only regulation and 3-on-3 overtime the edge, discounting shootout victories. Flin Flon has 16 wins in regulation and overtime, compared to Yorkton's 14 and Battlefords' 13, giving them second place.
The Bombers will face the Stars again Saturday night. Whoever wins that game will have a chance at a clean break into second place, away from ties - Yorkton does not play this weekend, meaning either Battlefords or Flin Flon can end the weekend in second with a win.
Whoever gets that spot will still be well below the first-place Melfort Mustangs. The league leaders have 44 points, 11 ahead of all three of the finalists, sporting a 22-4-0-0 record. Melfort's four losses this season have come against Melville, Weyburn and the Bombers - the only team who has beaten the league leaders twice.
