The Bombers' point streak hit blackjack Saturday - 21 SJHL games in a row without a regulation loss. Flin Flon handed the Klippers a 3-2 defeat to extend their recent hot run.
Flin Flon came in after a gritty affair Friday, wanting to take the visitors out of the game early. They did just that within the first five minutes, with Ryder Mucha and Keefe Gruener coming in on a two-on-one, Mucha feeding Gruener and the veteran forward making no mistake. Ryder Ringor came close to getting one for himself in a chaotic scramble in front, but Kindersley goalie Brett O'Halloran - son of former Bomber Chris O'Halloran - made the stop. Liam Hunks had a similar chance later, putting on a shot that O'Halloran saved but bounced up in the air and almost in - it would eventually hit the ground and roll wide.
The rest of the first featured some dust-ups after whistles, tight pressure both ways but no further scoring - the home team led 1-0 after 20.
Kindersley wouldn't give up though and capitalized midway through the second, with Brock Evans tying the game on a powerplay, getting a feed from deadline acquisition Mason Bueckert and burying it from the slot.
Big hits and crash-and-bang summed up much of the rest of the second, with both teams, now tied, wanting that extra edge. It was the Bombers who almost found it first in the midst of chaos - the Bombers almost had a goal when Wyatt Stinton was knocked into O'Halloran by a pair of Klippers defencemen, leaving the net open for Landon Alexander to shovel it in. The goal was disallowed due to goalie interference, despite Stinton having been pushed into O'Halloran by Klippers players.
Another chance came moments later with the same line for the Bombers, with Alexander breaking in on O'Halloran with defenders hot on his heels and missing his chance, right in time for O'Halloran's arm to get twisted in the legs of Klipper defenceman Russ Demo. O'Halloran was down in the crease hurt and the officials blew the whistle, robbing the Bombers of a possible chance. Some of the Whitney Forum crowd berated officials following the calls, but the game continued on regardless.
The Bombers would eventually break through, capitalizing on a Klippers giveaway. Carter Cormier stripped the puck from Kindersley's Kyler Smith, firing it out front to Gruener, who made no mistake. After an up-and-down, physically tense second frame, the Bombers still emerged on top with a 2-1 lead.
The Klippers kept up the pressure on the Bombers through the third, but the Bombers would extend the lead, with Anthony Piccininno throwing a change-up wrist shot on O'Halloran and finding the net. 3-1, home team.
Both teams played on the bleeding edge of league discipline through the third, with Kindersley's Will Christian getting into Kenny Marquart's crease and the goalie giving him a shot or two for his trouble. Stein Dostal and Gruener got involved with each other late, getting mutual roughing calls.
In the final minute, Kindersley would sneak back within one courtesy of a former Bomber - Dawson Karol, traded away from Flin Flon in the offseason, broke out of the box on a late penalty, gave Cole Tanchuk a hack on the foot that caused him to lose both his balance and the puck, then walked in and scored on Marquart. Kindersley took another couple of chances late, but the Bombers stood tall - but not without a late gift from Karol, who gave Flin Flon's Liam Hunks a high stick in the face away from the puck near the final whistle, knocking him to the ice bleeding. No penalty was assessed.
Marquart earned the win on his 20th birthday, making 26 stops. O'Halloran stopped 34 shots in a good night in the crease, but was still stuck with the L.
The Bombers have a firm hold on second place in the league standings with 53 points, including 40 of a possible 42 points in the last 21 matchups. Flin Flon will stay five points clear of third-place Weyburn in the SJHL standings and nine points behind first-place Melfort.
This week will see the Bombers embark on a difficult four-games-in-five-nights road trip, their second of the year. The trip will start Jan. 21 with a matchup against Melville and continue with games against Estevan Jan. 22, Weyburn Jan. 24 and Notre Dame Jan. 25.
