Weyburn Red Wings (2-1-0-1) vs. Flin Flon Bombers (3-0-1-0)

Legends Arena, Warman, SK

6:30 p.m.

 

The Weyburn Red Wings will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to the Melfort Mustangs Friday, when they take the ice Monday night against the Flin Flon Bombers at the SJHL Showcase in Warman, SK. The game will be the first meeting between the two teams since the Bombers eliminated the Red Wings from the SJHL playoffs last season.

The series between the two teams last year, while only five games, was in the opinion of many the most exciting series in the SJHL playoffs. It was a goaltending duel between Jack Burgart, and Brendan Newton, as both goaltenders were stellar. In the end, the bounces went the way of the Bombers, and they took the series 4-1. The series also featured a little animosity developing between the two storied franchises, with a number of hard hits, scrums after whistles, and even a fracas at the conclusion of game four in Flin Flon, when a member of the Red Wings skated off with the moose leg traditionally thrown on the ice at the conclusion of a Bombers win.

This year, there are a lot of changes between both teams. While there are many returning faces, there are also some new ones, and that could be the deciding factor in the win tonight: which teams rookies are able to step up, as it has been proven the veterans are fairly closely matched.

Goaltenders

The Flin Flon Bombers have been fortunate enough to have both goaltenders from their stellar playoff run return this year. Brenden Newton and Zac Robidoux were outstanding, and almost helped the Bombers to an upset over the Melfort Mustangs in the finals. So far this year, however, Newton has been getting all of the starts, and has fairly average at times. That said, his GAA is still strong at 2.45. It also means that Robidoux will most likely be getting a start here at the Showcase, coming as early as Monday against Weyburn. Robidoux hasn’t seen any action yet this year.

For the Red Wings, Nathan Hargrave has continued to be a strong presence on the ice. He has started all four games, and only has six goals against. With a GAA of less than 1.47, and a save percentage of .948, he has been outstanding in the crease. He may also get a rest in the coming days, however, so it does become a toss up, as the Red Wings have Shaun Fleming and Jake MacLennan behind him, who haven’t seen any action yet this year.

Edge: Even

Defense

The Flin Flon Bombers returned seven players on the blue line from last season, and more than half of them are 20-year-old players. The Bombers have a hard-hitting style of play, and will make forwards pay for mistakes with a blocked shot, crushing hit, or a simple stick check to finesse the puck away. The Bombers have done well to limit the number of shots faced by Newton so far, but the shots betting through can be some quality ones.

At the other end, the Red Wings have a strong, talented defensive corps that seems to be getting better each and every game. They are limiting the shots on goal, holding opponents to just over 25 per game, when the league average is over 32 shots. They have also been key at ensuring the sightlines for the goaltender are clear. Overall, Weyburn’s defence has proven to be a stingy one, and that isn’t expected to change anytime soon. The added bonus of having a number of defenseman who can move the puck well, they should be able to capitalize on miscues quickly, and often.

Edge: Weyburn

Forwards

Last season, the Flin Flon Bombers were dominated by their top line when it came to scoring, but others were able to chip in as needed. This year, the scoring looks to be done by committee in the early going, as they have a number of players chipping in offensively. They are being led by Dondre Watson, who has four goals so far this season. Veterans Brandon Lesko, Nick Shumlanski and Kristian St. Onge have been chipping in on the offense early, and will more than likely be key contributors this season.

The Red Wings have seen a few players step up this year when it comes to getting points on the board. One of those is Carson Rose, who has been playing with a renewed energy early this season. The second year Red Wing leads the team in points with six (3g-3a). His goals have also come in key times, as all three have been game-tying goals. So far, 10 players have picked up points for the Red Wings this season, which is showing that once again, the team will likely be scoring by committee, which can make them more of a threat as the season goes on.

Edge: Even

It will be an entertaining game when the Red Wings take on the Bombers at the SJHL Showcase Monday. Both teams have proven to be hard opponents, and it will come down to which team can limit the quality shots on net. Goaltending and scoring is strong for both teams, but the Red Wings will be looking to use their strengths at defence to create the advantage, and pick up a win.