The much improved Warman Wolverines made their way to the Whitney Forum in Flin Flon for a pair of games against the Bombers for the first time this season.
On Friday night it was a 5 minute powerplay for the Bombers in the second period which made the difference, as Flin Flon picked up the 5 to 2 victory.
Already up 1 to 0 after one on a goal by Ty Wasyluk, the Bombers would take advantage of a 5 minute powerplay assessed to Sawyer Scheidt for checking to the head.
Scheidt was given a 5 minute match which means he will also be facing a suspension for repeatedly cross checking the Bombers Rhett Ewen when he was laying on the ice midway through the second frame.
The Bombers made them pay as they went on to score three powerplay goals in a three minute span courtesy of Jared Miskiw, Rhett Ewen and Gabriel Kaminski as they would take a commanding 4 to 0 lead after two.
The game was far from over as the Wolverines would find their legs and scored a couple of goals in the third from Theron Bensler and Carter Bergen to make it interesting at 4 to 2 with just over three minutes remaining in the game.
Warman got the goalie out for the extra attacker, but Bomber Captain Landon Alexander with a player draped all over him was able to pick up a loose puck at center ice and make his way down to the Warman zone , and seel the game with an empty netter to make the final 5 to 2.
This was Alexander’s third goal of the season.
Both goaltenders were exceptional with the Bombers Finn Werner collecting his 10th win of the year stopping 18 out of 20 shots. The Wolverines Luke Brunen was very busy stopping 34 out of 38 and made a lot of great saves to keep Warman in the game.
The big factor in Friday’s game was Warman took way to many penalties , and the Bombers capitalized going 3 for 7, while the Wolverines went 1 for 3.
Saturday these two teams would meet in the rematch and everyone was expecting Warman to play much better and they did.
This time the Wolverines took a 4 to 0 lead late into the third period as Noah Derouin led the way with a goal and two helpers as Warman hung on for the 4 to 2 win.
The Wolverine netminder Luke Brunen was the difference in this one as he stopped 28 out of 30 Bomber shots and he didn’t let in a goal til the 17:47 mark of the third period. I was beginning to wonder if the Bombers would get anything behind Brunen who was dialled in all night.
Jared Miskiw was able to score his fifth of the year on the powerplay to give his team some much needed life late in the game, and it worked as Hudson Brehaut also found the back of the net just a minute later.
Unfortunately the Bombers ran out of time and the Wolverines held on for the 4 to 2 win.
Despite the loss, it was an entertaining game and you have to give Warman credit, they rebounded with a solid effort after dropping the game on Friday.
Both teams found themselves in the penalty box 6 times, as it was once again a very physical game with both clubs going 1 for 6 with the extra attacker.
Brunen was the key for the Wolverines and was able to keep the Bombers at bay for most of the game.
Noah Martin got just his third start for Flin Flon and he played well with 30 saves on 33 shots, with one of the Warman goals scored into the empty net.
After the weekend the Bombers sit at 11-5-1 and are log jammed with Melville, Melfort and Weyburn with 23 points for second overall.
The Wolverines are now a league best 12-4-0-2, good for 26 points. Pretty impressive after only winning 14 games all last season.
It was great to see the Whitney Forum packed again as there were over 700 fans in attendance both nights, which would be the biggest crowds since opening night. It was also Parent’s Weekend which added to the electricity.
Flin Flon will now get ready to host Yorkton on Tuesday before they will get a week break. This will be the third meeting of the season between the two teams who met in last Spring’s Canterra Seeds Cup Final.
The two teams split the first two games with Yorkton winning 6 to 3 at the Westland Arena on October the 3rd, with the Bombers responding 4 to 2 on October the 17th.
Puck drop at the Whitney Forum on Saturday is 7:30pm.
