By James Brohm
Sioux Lookout, ON – It was a special mid-week game at the Hangar on Tuesday night and the Bombers and Lakers treated the 402 fans in attendance to a great game. The 5:30pm start made it possible for many young hockey fans to come out to attend Family Game night.
The Bombers dominated the game early on. Having just suffered their first loss since November, they were eager to put the cart back on the right track. Much of the first half of the period was played the Lakers’ zone. The Bombers heavily outshot the Lakers 17-3 in the first 20 minutes. Kaden Veller got the scoring started with his third of the season at 10:39. Veller was just on the ice from the bench when he took up his position on the point and took a feed from Dale Horseman. He sifted a shot through traffic that found the back of the net. The Lakers had a few chances but the period ended with the Bombers up 1-0.
The Bombers were back in the second. Connor Burke redirected a point shot by Kaden Veller. Lakers goalie, Lukas Toth was playing the trajectory of the original shot but the quick tip caught him moving in the wrong direction. The Bombers penalty kill was tested first in the second period and came up big. Not only did they kill off two consecutive minor penalties, Ty Lone put the Bombers up 3-0 with a shorthanded goal at 9:13. He stripped a Lakers’ defenceman of the puck in his own zone and was off to the races on a 2 on 1 with Connor Burke. He elected to shoot and found the inside of the far post. Jonah Smith got his 13th of the season, assisted by Tait Howell and Cobe Delaney at 13:59. The Lakers got into penalty trouble late in the period including back to back 5 on 3s. But they were able to keep the Bombers from scoring again in the frame.
Starting of the third period still down two men on the ice, the Lakers were able to kill off the remaining penalty time. Out of that effort, the Lakers started to battle back and forced much of the play into the Bombers’ zone early in the third. Magnus Pearson scored 2:40 into the third to break the goose egg. The Lakers with some sustained pressure added an another goal a minute and a half later. This time Jack Wood used a Bombers’ defenceman as a screen and beat Matt Ofukany over the right shoulder to cut the lead in half. But the Bombers refocused their efforts and were able to turn the tides once again. At 12:13 Cobe Delaney got an extra insurance marker against his former team on a breakaway, putting the Bombers up 5-3.
Shots on goal were 49 for the Bombers and 33 for the Lakers. The game’s third star was Brody Lindal of the Lakers. Second star was Cobe Delany with one goal and one assist and the first star was Kaden Veller also with a goal and an assist.
The Lakers visit Dryden on Friday to take on the Ice Dogs. The Bombers will do the same on Saturday night as the Battle of 72 resumes.