The Hawks celebrate their tying goal Tuesday night against the Flin Flon Bombers. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Slow start hurts Hawks

Start stings Hawks in tough loss to Flin Flon

Jan 5, 2022 | 11:57 AM

The Nipawin Hawks spotted the Flin Flon Bombers a two-goal cushion early Tuesday night that they couldn’t quite overcome leading to a 3-2 loss.

Trying to snap a four-game losing streak, the Hawks didn’t start strong, the Bombers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Cole Vardy and Zak Smith. Hawks Head Coach Tad Kozun said the team needs better starts if they hope to turn their fortunes this Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season.

“In December we started scoring a couple of the first goals and we get those wins, right now when we get behind the eight ball we’re having a tough time,” Kozun said. “The bounces aren’t going our way, that’s the way it goes when you start getting on these streaks.”

The home did find their stride in the second period, Kye Whillans scored his first goal as a Hawk and Rylan Lefebvre added his seventh of the year to tie the game 2-2 on a pair of powerplay goals. Kozun said it was nice to see the club’s top two centreman step up, but they need others as well.

“Anybody can look at our top scorers this year and can see that we don’t score a tonne of goals, we’re a score by committee team. We need guys to keep putting up numbers here and there and hopefully a couple guys can get hot,” he said.

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Nipawin finished the game with a pair of powerplay goals in as many chances as the team’s special teams appear to be making progress but a late second period bench minor penalty gave the Bombers the man advantage that they capitalized on early in the third period restoring Flin Flon’s lead and giving them the win. The team was frustrated following the contest knowing the effort was there to snap their losing streak. Kozun said that energy needs to be transferred in the correct direction.

“If you are frustrated tonight but then you decide to let it go before the next game then it doesn’t do anything. You also need to realize it’s a hockey game, they’ve been doing it since they were three years old. It’s a game and it’s supposed to be fun, obviously you can get frustrated, if you go out there frustrated you play harder, play simple, do things right and good things are going to happen to you,” he added.

The Hawks will regroup this week and get set to host the Yorkton Terriers on Saturday at the Centennial Arena. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork