The Flin Flon Bombers opened up their SJHL Showcase with a bang, walking out of their first game in Warman with a 7-2 win over Weyburn.
The kids were alright for the Bombers early on, with Tristan Lemyre opening the scoring less than a minute in after making a nice move in front of Red Wing goalie Aaron de Kok. Halfway through the period, the Bombers got more offence from a rookie, with Jaeden Mercier scoring his first junior goal. Weyburn defender Jevon Schwean got the Wings on the board late in the frame.
Brandon Cianflone made it 3-1 Bombers moments into the second after a monstrous offensive shift, followed not long after by a tap-in goal by Cole Rafuse after an Alec Malo cross-crease pass. Billy Klymchuk pumped the lead up further shortly after, capitalizing on a tic-tac-toe passing play and giving the Bombers a 5-1 lead. de Kok was sent to the bench after making 21 saves on 26 shots, replaced by Noah Decottignies in the Red Wings’ net.
Keigan Callander scored his first SJHL goal in almost a year and a half for Weyburn late in the second period to cut the lead to three, but Mason Martin brought the Bombers back up four with a bullet from the point on the powerplay. Jack Craycroft added his first goal in Canadian junior hockey with another long bomb, making it 7-2 Bombers midway through the second period.
Little took place in the final frame, with the outcome already well decided.
Jacob Delorme finished the game with one of his slowest nights as Bomber netminder, only needing to make 19 saves for the win. Decottignies made 18 saves for Weyburn in relief.
The Bombers wrapped up the night with 49 shots. Cianflone received the honours as the Bombers’ top player on the evening after racking up a goal and an assist. Defenceman Noah Kuntz played with the Bombers as an affiliated player, with Jack Michell still injured and Cole Vardy not dressed. Both Haygarth brothers, Chase and Easton, finished the game with two assists. For the first time this year, the Bombers relied on scoring by committee, with 12 different players notching points.
The Bombers will play their second SJHL Showcase game Tuesday afternoon in Warman against the Battlefords North Stars. The puck drops at 2 p.m. Manitoba time and the game can be streamed live on the SJHL’s Facebook page.
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