The Flin Flon Bombers will try to snap a three game losing streak tonight when the high flying Millionaires hit the Whitney Forum for the first time.
The teams have met twice at the Horizon Credit Union Centre, with the teams splitting the two games. Flin Flon won 7-4 on October the 15th when Cole McCaig scored two goals, and was moved to Way Way of the MJHL earlier this week.
Melville came back to win 3-2 on November the 16th. I thought Flin Flon deserved a lot better and should of won this game. The Bombers hit three goal posts and really controlled the play but did not get the end result.
Mike Reagan has made more changes to try and get a better offensive attack. Hiebert and McCaig are gone and Sam Williams and Peter Poulin Roy have been added.
Williams is no stranger to the SJHL spending three seasons with the Wings. He started the season in Weyburn picking up 12 points in 15 games before being dealt to Drumheller of the AJHL. Roy has major junior experience with the Sudbury Wolves and Head Coach Reagan says he is a point per game player. It may take Roy a while to get going as he has not played a single game this season. He has been going to school, and has decided to come back and give junior hockey one more try.
Both players will suit up for tonight.
Melville comes to town with the third best record in the SJHL at 14-6-2-2 and are 5-3-1-1 in their last ten. Melville went into Nipawin and shut out a very good Hawk team 5-0 last night. The Mills have scored 78 goals which is second in the league behind only Laronge.
This is a huge surprise, as many people across the league had Melville fighting to make the playoffs after supposedly selling the farm for Brennen Ritchie and Nathan Boyer last year in a big deal with Laronge.
Things could not have worked out better for Melville, Alex Walkaluk got a scholorship, Trudeau quit hockey and Sagen did report and is putting up decent numbers with the Ice Wolves 24 points in 25 games. Many people including Head Coach and GM Jamie Feisel did not expect this.
The Bombers look forward to the meeting tonight as these two teams seem to bring the best out in each other, which always makes for a very uptempo exciting game. The town is also a buzz about the new players Williams and Roy who get set to make their Bomber debuts tonight.
Flin Flon will try to avoid another third period melt down tonight after giving up five goals in the third period to the offensively challenged Melfort Mustangs on Wednesday. The Bombers third periods have been very shaky lately giving up 13 goals in the third in their last five games. If you take away the final period the Bombers could have easily won all five games.
The Bombers continue to be one of the best defensive teams giving up 61 goals in 25 games. Only Humboldt and Yorkton have given up less.
Brett Boehm sits out the second of his three game suspension tonight, so someone else will have to step up offensively without the two top two scorers in the lineup. Cam Blair remains out with an injury and could be back before christmas.
All the action on CFAR-590 and flinflononline.com tonight. We are on the air from the fabulous Whitney Forum at 7:10 tonight with the Murray GM Coach's Show.
