Well, it was fun while it lasted. The Bombers' 26-game point streak went kaputt Tuesday night, with the team being shut out 3-0 by the last-place Nipawin Hawks.
The Bombers' offence never found a way to get going during the matchup, with Nipawin's Carter Anderson opening the scoring early in the second and Flin Flon never finding a way onto the scoreboard. Mason Karakochuk scored to extend Nipawin's lead late in the second, then Eric Hoiness brought it up to three for the Hawks early in the third.
Meanwhile, Flin Flon's offence must have been left behind before the bus trip to Nipawin. The Bombers' scorers couldn't find purchase at the Cage, ending both their point streak and a run of 17 straight wins over the Hawks.
Nipawin's Gage Roberts kept all 25 Bomber shots out of Nipawin's goal - Kenny Marquart didn't have the same luck, saving 29 of 32 Nipawin shots.
Nipawin's season has not been good, but the team has recently developed a reputation as giant killers. In addition to shutting out the Bombers, the Hawks - with Roberts in net - beat the top-ranked Melfort Mustangs 4-1 to end January.
The Hawks' win over the Bombers is the first one the team has had in 28 months - the last time Nipawin beat the Bombers was Sept. 17, 2022. Following that game - a 5-2 Hawks win in Nipawin - the Bombers went on a run through the next two and a half seasons, spurred on in part by former Hawks goalie Harmon Laser-Hume, who beat his former team 11 straight times over two seasons in the Bomber net.
The loss, paired with a Melfort win in Yorkton, caused the Bombers to lose ground in the standings on the Mustangs. Melfort leads the way with 66 points in 40 games, while the Bombers sit second with 62 points in 43 games.
The Bombers will have a chance to get back in the win column Feb. 7-8 with a pair of games against Estevan.
