The Bombers got quantity Tuesday night, but couldn't find the quality needed to win. Humboldt held on to beat Flin Flon 3-2 in a double-overtime Game 3, cutting the Bombers' series lead to one.
Before the game began, both teams got different news about veteran players. Flin Flon's Leighton Carruthers, one of the team's best players through the first two games of the series, would not hit the ice, while Humboldt's Zach Bansley, who had been out of the lineup for about a month after sustaining an injury, drew back in for the Broncos.
The Bombers pushed hard early on, emptying the clip offensively at Humboldt goalie Dazza Mitchell, but the Regina native stopped all 20 shots the Bombers threw at him. Flin Flon couldn't convert on a pair of powerplays and while the Bombers kept Humboldt to just five shots in the first frame, they still exited the first tied at zeros.
Humboldt would turn it on in the second period, owning possession for large stretches and finally opening the scoring. Kye Benoche, who scored both of the team's goals in Game 2, beat Matt Kieper on a powerplay with a quick shot on a cross-ice pass from Marik Mamic. Minutes later, Mamic got on the board himself, getting a wrister through Kieper that the league MVP likely would want to have back.
The Bombers could not keep up the pressure and took a hard hit later in the frame, with Kyle Marsden taking an inadvertent puck in the face. The defenceman would leave the game for a time before returning and stayed on the bench for the third, but he did not take another regular shift. If the Bombers wanted to get back in it, they would need two quick goals - they entered the third down 2-0.
Humboldt was able to keep the game in transition to start the third while keeping Flin Flon away from the goal. Koen Senft had a prime chance midway through the frame to get the Bombers on the board, with a down-and-out Mitchell on the ice, but the goalie made the stop. Flin Flon began exerting more and more pressure, keeping Humboldt stuck in their own zone, but could not convert - until a breakthrough midway through the frame.
With Benoche in the box, the Bombers hounded the net and every loose puck, finally culminating in a point blast by Cole Tanchuk that had eyes - through traffic, past Mitchell's blocker and into the net. Flin Flon had one - they still needed at least one more.
They got one, with seven minutes to go, courtesy of Landon Alexander. The rookie was able to use linemate Leo Seitz, breaking in on net, as a diversion - instead of passing to Seitz like Mitchell suspected, Alexander just fired it, finding the net and tying the game late.
Flin Flon would keep the Broncos hemmed in, but Humboldt would stave off the challenge long enough to reach the final horn. With both teams tied 2-2 after a full 60 minutes, overtime - next goal wins, 5-on-5, as long as it takes - would be on the menu.
The Bombers owned possession and pressure early in OT, keeping the puck in Humboldt's zone - Ryder Ringor got close, coming inches from ending the night but nailing the goalpost. Ryder Mucha had a chance of his own in close, getting past the defence but being shut down by Mitchell.
Humboldt began to get chances of their own 10 minutes in, with captain Landon Stromme getting a prime opportunity off a rush that Kieper just did enough to knock away. Jacob Strizzi almost ended the night with a pair of shots moments apart, both of which hit the crossbar and bounced out of harm's way.
With time ticking away, the Broncos kept pushing, but the Bombers would not yield, getting chances of their own off the rush. None would work in the first overtime frame - the two teams would stay deadlocked and needed a second overtime.
The second overtime started even, but Humboldt got a prime opportunity - with a rebound jumping out to an open Strizzi, Rhett Ewen tripped him up to prevent a chance, putting him in the box. The Bombers would manage to kill off the penalty, but Humboldt struck soon after the call was over, with Bansley cutting into the zone, teeing up his shot and beating Kieper with a change-up that bounced off a stick in front.
Humboldt picked up their first victory at home against the Bombers in their last four series against the team, earning a win despite being outshot by double.
Mitchell made a whopping 62 saves for the Broncos for the win, while Kieper stopped 29 of 32 shots in the Bomber net over four-plus periods of work.
The two teams will play Game 4 in Humboldt Wednesday night. Humboldt's win guarantees the series will go at least five games, which will mean another game at the Whitney Forum - Game 5 will take place in Flin Flon March 29. Depending on the result of Game 4, the Bombers will either get the chance to clinch the series on home ice or will need a home win to pull back ahead.
Elsewhere in the SJHL playoff picture, the Weyburn Red Wings got back ahead of the Battlefords North Stars, winning 5-3 and pulling back ahead 2-1 in their series. Melfort handed Kindersley a 4-3 defeat and went 3-0 up in their series, while Melville got their first win, a 5-2 victory over archrivals Yorkton, to cut their series to a 2-1 deficit.
