By Glynn Brothen

Hawks end Flin Flon’s nine-game win streak

Jan 30, 2019 | 5:37 PM

On Tuesday, Jan. 29, the first-place Nipawin Hawks faced one of their most challenging tests this season: A revamped Flin Flon Bombers squad who beat them 4-1 three weeks earlier.

Jake Tremblay finished off a centering pass by his defenceman Colten Gerlib from behind the goal line to give the Hawks a 1-0 halfway through the first, before a wrist shot from Bombers defenceman Jack Michell squeaked through Hawks goaltender Declan Hobbs to tie the game five minutes later.

The Hawks tightened up defensively and struck twice quickly in the second. Gerlib deflected the puck off Carson Erhardt’s skate and in during a Hawks power play, while alternate captain Jeremy Bisson scored on a wraparound to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead after two periods.

Doug Johnson, Hawks head coach, told northeastNOW Bisson continues to get better as the season goes on.

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“He’s taken more of a responsibility,” Johnson said. “He’s a guy you can put out on left wing, centre, right wing, and he always does the job. He’s the type of guy who will do whatever it takes to win.

“Early on, maybe he’s in an expanded role and had to get used to it, now he’s used to it and he’s really flourishing. Tonight, he was phenomenal absolutely, but it wasn’t just tonight, he’s steadily getting better.”

The Bombers answered back eight minutes into the third with an Ethan Daniels power play goal, but the Hawks withstood the Flin Flon pushback.

Before the Bombers could pull their goalie late in the third for the tying goal, Hawks rookie forward Michael Makarenko was sprung on a partial breakaway and scored with one minute to go and made it 4-2.

Makarenko credited his newer defenceman Walker Cote for making the pass up the boards.

“As soon as I get the puck, I don’t like to think a lot,” Makarenko said. “I just choose a spot, play it in my head before I get the puck, and let it shoot. It went in for me and it’s a good feeling of course, but it’s better to get the win for sure.”

The win leaves the Hawks with 67 points (32-12-1-2) in 47 games, good for first in the overall Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) standings. With 11 games remaining in their regular season schedule, Johnson called Tuesday’s win over Flin Flon a much-needed effort from his young team heading into the final stretch.

“It’s nice to have our young team show up for a big game,” he said. “Because to me this is as close to a playoff game as you’re going to get before the playoffs. You win 4-2 against a very good team like that you have to be happy.

“We never made mistake after mistake. We weren’t hemmed in a whole lot, and if there was a little pushback by Flin Flon, we always had a counter.”

In the meantime, the Hawks will rest until Saturday, Feb. 2 where they welcome back new assistant coach Devin Windle back to Nipawin when they host the Notre Dame Hounds.

aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow