The Bombers now know their second round playoff foes. Flin Flon will take on Humboldt in the SJHL semifinals.
Flin Flon's opponent was decided by the opening round's sole Game 7, between the third-seeded Melfort Mustangs and the sixth seed Yorkton Terriers. If the Terriers won, the Bombers, as the fifth-place team and the second-lowest remaining seed in the playoffs, would face the second seed Humboldt Broncos. If the Mustangs won, the Bombers would be the lowest remaining seed in the SJHL playoffs and would face the league leading Estevan Bruins.
Despite the Mustangs getting out to an early 1-0 lead, the Terriers came back, getting a pair of goals from Erik Boers and an empty-netter from Kishaun Gervais to claim the 3-1 win, pushing the Terriers to an upset series win and ending the Mustangs' season.
With the Terrier victory, the Bombers and Broncos will face off in one league semi-final, while the Terriers and the Bruins will match up in the second semi-final.
In four games between Flin Flon and Humboldt this regular season, the Bombers went two-and-two, playing all four games in an eight-day span in late November and early December. The Bombers and Broncos each split a pair of away and home games, with Humboldt needing a shootout to beat Flin Flon at the Forum Dec. 3. In those four games, the Bombers earned five points, while the Broncos took four.
The semi-final setup also brings with it an interesting side plot - a possible shortcut into the national junior A title tournament, the Centennial Cup. The tournament is being hosted by the Bruins in May - Estevan has received an automatic berth into the tournament.
This year's Centennial Cup will feature 10 teams instead of the usual five - the champions of all nine CJHL leagues and the Bruins as hosts. No ANAVET Cup series will be held between the champions of the MJHL and SJHL this year - instead, both teams would qualify.
If the Bruins advance to the league finals, they will be guaranteed either to win or finish second, meaning their opponents would also automatically qualify for the Centennial Cup - either as league champions or the best remaining team not already qualified.
Long story short, if the Bruins beat the Terriers - as they did in six of the eight games between the two clubs this season - then the winner of the Broncos/Bombers series would likely qualify for the Centennial Cup.
Games 1 and 2 will take place in Humboldt April 1 and 2, starting at 8:30 p.m. Manitoba time. The series will then pause for almost a week before Games 3 and 4 in Flin Flon April 8 and 9. Game 5, if needed, will take place April 12 in Humboldt, with Game 6 (if needed) taking place April 15 in Flin Flon. A possible Game 7 would take place April 17 - two and a half weeks after the series is scheduled to start - in Humboldt.
