The Bombers are back in a playoff spot. Flin Flon took a 4-3 victory in overtime against Kindersley Saturday night, extending their win streak to four and earning a tie for the last spot.
Flin Flon held off a late surge by the Klippers to take their second straight weekend sweep and pick up the win.
The Bombers opened the scoring midway through the first period, with a little home cooking from Kindersley native Carter Cormier. Playing in the Bombers' last regular season home game in his hometown this season, Cormier got a fluttering shot up and over Cody Jaman and in. Moments later, Leighton Carruthers opened his account, scoring his first-ever junior A goal and first as a Bomber, jumping on a puck left sitting in the slot and beating Jaman clean.
Kindersley cut the lead to one late in the frame, with Odin George picking Bombers Emerson Clark's pocket at the blueline, skating in on a breakaway and beating Matthew Kieper. Flin Flon still led after 20 minutes, up 2-1.
It didn't take long for Clark to redeem himself for that error. Early in the second, he scored his first-ever junior goal, restoring the Bombers' two-goal lead. That lead would stay into the third period - where a familiar friend turned foe would make his presence felt.
Enter former Bomber Dawson Karol, who got a powerplay marker early in the third to bring Kindersley within one. Karol wouldn't stop there - soon after, he'd drop the mitts at centre ice with Natan Meunier-Roberge - both were sent to the showers. Karol got the takedown and a big ovation from his teammates and the Inter Pipeline Arena, but also an ejection from the game, putting his new team down a first-line player late.
Kindersley had been outshooting the Bombers through the third but poured it on late, trying to tie things up. That push paid off with less than three minutes left - Cam Perlinger got a stick on a passing point shot and knocked it just out of Kieper's reach, tying the game with only moments to go.
A late push by the Klippers, followed by some ending chances for Flin Flon, went unsuccessful. Overtime would be needed - three on three, no room for error, nowhere to hide.
Kindersley started with a rush, with the Bombers pushing right back - Keefe Gruener almost ended it fast with a one-timer and he had Jaman beat, but not the post. Ping-pong action continued, with back-and-forth corresponding rushes - a Klippers chance, a Bombers chance, Klippers, Bombers, so on. Carter Anderson almost put one in after two minutes but lost his angle.
The Bombers gradually hemmed in the Klippers, controlling possession for long stretches but generating few shots. Another Gruener shot from the slot got blockered away from Jaman - Koen Senft put a shot on net that a defender blocked and knocked away. Senft had another shot, dangling out Jaman and leaving him dead to rights, but he missed the net - another Senft shot was stopped moments later.
With less than a minute left on the clock, the Bombers' pressure hit a breaking point - and a breakthrough. George and Rylan Wieler broke in on a two-on-one for Kindersley but Ryder Ringor broke that up with a shot block, firing it down the other way and finding Carter Anderson on a breakaway. Anderson caught the puck, came in on Jaman and found the twine, ending the game with a Bomber victory and only eight seconds left before a possible shootout.
Kieper, playing the second end of a back-to-back, picked up his second win on the weekend, making 45 saves to do it. Jaman made 45 saves as well, but let one more puck in than Kieper.
Going into Saturday's game, the Bombers could have leapfrogged the Klippers in the standings with a regulation win, going from 19 points to 21 and jumping over the Klippers' 20. The game going to overtime gave Kindersley a point and the win gave Flin Flon two, ending with them tied for eighth with 21 points each - the Bombers have played one more game than Kindersley.
While the Bombers' long October losing skid sent them tumbling down the standings, four straight wins have them within striking distance of teams further up the table. Melville, who sit in seventh, are just one point up on the Bombers - La Ronge and Humboldt, who are tied for fifth, are two points away.
The Bombers have two games coming up this week, a home-and-home series against the Nipawin Hawks. The Hawks have won three out of 17 games so far this season and sit in last place - Flin Flon plays the Hawks at home Nov. 22, then on the road a night later.
