The Estevan Bruins played most of a very good hockey game on Sunday, October 14, but the parts they played poorly came back to bite them in a huge way against the Flin Flon Bombers.

Estevan got goals from Tristyn DeRoose and Eddie Gallagher for the second straight game, but the Bombers vaunted offense went to work and potted 6 goals including an empty-netter for the 6-2 victory. Jake Anthony was pulled after surrendering 5 goals on 25 shots, while Jacob Delorme stopped an impressive 36 of 38 in the Bombers crease.

The Bruins and Bombers were all square at one through 33 minutes of hockey with Billy Klymchuk scoring on a two-on-one for Flin Flon and DeRoose tipping home Austin King-Cunningham's point shot for Estevan. From the 13-minute mark of the second to the 18:25 point, however, the Bombers scored three quick goals to ice the game. 

"It starts with them getting a goal and us all of a sudden hitting the panic button, said Bruins head coach and GM Chris Lewgood, "Mentally the guys weren't strong and it was throughout the lineup. We rolled through the lines pretty quick after that and it was mistake after mistake."

The Bombers weren't done scoring entering the third period, as they extended their lead to 5-1 on Nate Hooper's fifth of the year. Chrystopher Collin took a shot on an odd-man rush that hit Anthony in the shoulder, producing a rebound that Hooper snuck through the five-hole. That goal prompted the Bruins to get out the hook and put in Grant Boldt. 

"I thought we were the better team most of the night," Lewgood said. "You've got to be consistent and play all 60 minutes because when you're playing a really good team they can put you away in a real hurry, and that's what happened tonight." 

Gallagher scored his second goal in as many games late in the third, lifting a shot through traffic from the right circle that fooled Delorme and went low-blocker to give the Bruins some temporary momentum. A roughing call to DeRoose slowed it down, however, and the Bombers got an empty net goal from Dawson MacKenzie to stop the Bruins brief comeback entirely.

Estevan now falls to 5-7 on the season and will have four days off to reset before another tough opponent, the Melfort Mustangs arrive at Affinity Place on Friday, October 19. Puck drop will be 7:30 local time.

GAME NOTES

Tristyn DeRoose and Eddie Gallagher both scored their second goals as Bruins, and second in two games on the weekend. Both are operating at over a point per game since being put together with Tanner Manz. 

Jake Heerspink and Aigne McGeady-Bruce both extended their point streaks to two games with their fifth assists of the year. 

Flin Flon finished 3-0-1 on their four-game southern road swing and will next play the Bruins on October 25 at the Whitney Forum. Their victory tonight was their first at Affinity Place since January 22 of 2016, when they won 5-1.

Estevan did not lose by four goals or more at any point in 2017-18. This is their third such loss of the 2018-19 campaign after a 6-2 loss to Humboldt on September 25 and a 6-1 loss in Battlefords on September 28.