The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings were looking to bounce back from their 0-3 start Friday night as the Flin Flon Bombers came to town. Weyburn would jump out to lead in the first period, but the Bombers rallied, scoring four unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 victory.
"The puck's not going in the net, but I do like a lot of the things that are going on," said head coach Cody Mapes after the game. "We've just got to find a way to make sure the puck's going in the net more often than they go in ours, and right now, that's not happening."
The Red Wings took the lead with 2:51 remaining in the first period when Max Chakrabarti scored his first of the season on the power play. He was assisted on the goal by Kerome Maharaj and Turner McIntyre, both of whom were making their season debuts with the Red Wings.
Maharaj would then get credited with an assist on Josh Karman's first goal of the season 39 seconds later. Ethan Dekay would get credited with the other assist on the goal.
"I think the offence will come for sure," Maharaj said after the game. The returning forward, who began the season with the Langley Rivermen of the BCHL, was skating in his first game back in Weyburn. "There's a lot of skilled players on our team. The offence will come. I think right now our focus is defence. Just holding down leads, and learning how to keep the game away."
"We got a lot of skilled guys, but we just got to be a little tougher, harder on sticks, and be tough to play against," commented Red Wings captain Blake Betson. "At the end of the day, we just got to play a full 60. You can't take 10 minutes off and play a good team like this. It'll cost you."
The Bombers would respond with a goal of their own in the second period, as Carter Anderson scored at the 1:31 point of the frame, just six seconds into a power play. Anderson would then tie the game up just past the halfway mark of the third.
Flin Flon took the lead with 6:11 to go in the period when Ryder Ringor beat Dazza Mitchell with a shot from the point. Then Keefe Gruener scored with 1:24 remaining to make it a 4-2 game.
"We've got to take care of the puck and the neutral zone a little bit here, and get everybody kind of settled into what their roles are going to be," added Mapes.
The team added five players to the roster this week, with the addition of Maharaj and Dekay, along with McIntyre, Lynden Donal-Gorman, and Jaxson Ruthven. All but Ruthven were in the lineup for the game Friday night.
The game was also the first as captain for Betson, with the team making the announcement this afternoon.
"It's a privilege and an honour to be captain of such a prestigious team," Betson said of being selected for the leadership role. "Lots of good history here, and all that, so it's really exciting, and I look forward to the rest of the year."
Also named to the leadership for the Red Wings were assistant captains Maharaj, Braigh LeGrandeur, and Cyprus Smith-Davis.
The Red Wings will look to bounce back from the loss Saturday night, as they host the Nipawin Hawks at Crescent Point Place.