Flin Flon's win streak was dashed against a red-hot Melville team Saturday, losing 3-1 on the road.
The Bombers outshot the Mils through all three periods, but Melville managed to find the upper hand in the second period, costing the Bombers of a chance to pull ahead late in the standings.
Simon Parini got the Mils on the board midway through the first on a broken play, picking up a puck that got stopped in the middle of the zone and beating an unaware Kenny Marquart. Flin Flon would tie the game back up late in the first, with Cole Tanchuk jumping on a loose puck off a faceoff and catching Ben Laurette napping, making it 1-1.
Melville took advantage of a rare gaffe by the Bomber defence to pull ahead midway through the second. Marquart went out to play the puck behind the net, then backpassed it to Tanchuk who tried finding Nash Holmes. The puck bounced off Holmes' leg, straight into the slot and onto the waiting stick of Parini before Marquart made it back, giving the Melville forward the easiest goal he'll ever score on an open net.
Melville moved further ahead on a powerplay late in the second, with Jadon Iyogun finding Raine Hodge wide open off a rush to beat Marquart. Flin Flon's offence was stuck in neutral in the last two periods, generating shots but few with menace despite a late charge with an empty net. Laurette was able to save each of the visitors' chances after Tanchuk's original goal, making 32 saves, while Marquart was stuck with the loss in a 16-save night.
The victory was Melville's ninth in a row, a run that's pushed the Mils up the league standings and given them a chance at home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. The Bombers clinched at least a fourth-place finish in Yorkton Friday.
The loss wipes out the Bombers' five-game win streak and, with just seven regular season games to go, means Flin Flon loses ground on top-ranked Melfort. The Mustangs lost to Humboldt in a shootout Saturday but still picked up a point, pushing them up to nine points ahead of the Bombers. Flin Flon's chances of potentially finishing first in the league may be fading, but the team's chance of clinching second remains in sight - the Bombers need four points to clinch over Yorkton and seven to clinch over Weyburn.
Flin Flon will be in tough next weekend, playing a home-and-home against the Mustangs, first in Melfort Feb. 28, then again at the Whitney Forum March 1. Following that, the Bombers will play three of their last five regular season games at home, including two against Battlefords March 7-8, a possible preview to the first round of the upcoming playoffs.
