The game was scoreless into the late stages of the first, with the Bombers coming up with a penalty kill in the final five minutes of the period. The Kraken would open the scoring on an Ethan Toole shot off the wall that might have changed direction to find it’s way past the blocker of Callum Tung with 1:07 to play in the period.
It remained a 1-0 game into the back half of the second frame, when the Bombers tied it up as Carson Steel backhanded home his own rebound from in tight. Grayson Erickson also assisted on the play at 11:28. Less than a minute later Kraken took the lead back as Kellan Brienan scored on a cross-crease pass to make it 2-1 at 12:15 of the second.
The Bombers were penalized to end the second, but tied it while shorthanded just 32 seconds into the third, as who else – but the VIJHL’s shorthanded goal leader Brady McIssac – scored blockerside on a steal and a breakaway to make it 2-2. The Bombers came up with a penalty kill again six minutes into the period to preserve the tie, and then took a 3-2 lead on a Jackson Payeur wrist shot from the line on the power play at 9:29, with Brady McIsaac assisting. Half a minute later, the Bombers went to a five minute power play where they padded their lead to 4-2 as Brady McIsaac ripped a home a cross-ice one-timer from Jaydon Merritt with nine minutes left. The Kraken got one back while shorthanded just 21 seconds later, off the stick of Kellan Brienan to make it 4-3. The Bombers would make the lead stand to the final minute when Jaydon Merritt dove to clear the puck out of the zone, before hitting the empty net from his knees from the Bomber line to conclude the scoring. Taylor Madsen assisted at 19:33.
Final shots favoured the Kraken 40-30, with Callum Tung earning the win in net. The Bombers went 2 for 4 on the power play while also scoring once while shorthanded. The Kraken went 0 for 6.
With the win, the Bombers conclude their inaugural regular season and overtake the fourth place Kraken in the North Division standings by a single point.
The Kraken visit the Storm in Campbell River tomorrow needing a win to overtake the Bombers for the final playoff spot.
