They lost one game, but didn't allow a tie
The Humboldt Broncos went north to Flin Flon for Games 3 and 4 of the Northern Conference final on March 26-27. Up 2-0 in the series, the Broncos had to win both games to clinch it in four.
There, the Bombers proved poor hosts the first night, as the Broncos had been over the weekend, claiming wins at home.
It was a real battle in the first period of Game 3, with 15 shots on goal from Humboldt blocked by Bomber goalie Devin Buffalo, and Bronco Matt Hrynkiw denying all 10 of Flin Flon's shots on goal.
The play was rough in the first period, just as it was in the first two games of the series in Humboldt. Broncos were boxed for holding, cross-checking and boarding, while the Bombers went in for high sticking and tripping.
Scoring began in the second period, with a Flin Flon goal at 1:16 by Brett Penner. Penner struck again, putting the Bombers up 2-0 at 14:42 of the second.
The Broncos scored no goals in the second, but Cody Pongracz was boxed at 15:56 for roughing after an altercation with Riley Storzuk of the Bombers, and Logan Sproule for unsportsmanlike conduct at 16:34. The Bombers had two in the box around the 15-minute mark of the second, giving Humboldt a man advantage, but they were unable to capitalize on it.
Two more Flin Flon goals in the third period - one 45 seconds in, and another at 2:18 - put them up 4-0, a deficit the Broncos were just unable to recover from, despite levelling 20 shots on net between the second and third periods.
When things were all tallied up, the Broncos came out short in shots on net, as well - Flin Flon outshot them 45 to 35.
Neither team was able to score on the power play, both going zero for four.
But Game 4 was a different story.
The Broncos didn't seem to like dropping that one game to the Bombers, so they came out of the box ready to prevent their rivals from tying the series.
There was a bit of an altercation around the five-minute mark of the first period, when Joey Davies of the Broncos and Dallen Hall of the Bombers got into some pushing and shoving. Davies was boxed for boarding, while Hall got two minutes for roughing.
Each team had a power play in the first, but failed to score on either Matt Hrynkiw or Devin Buffalo, both of whom were in fine form that evening.
Hrynkiw turned away all nine shots levelled at his net in the first and all 14 in the second.
The Broncos shot nine pucks at Buffalo in the first, and 16 in the second, but also failed to get by him.
The second was a pretty quiet period penalty-wise. Each team did get one power play, but failed to score.
Finally, 34 seconds into the third period, Jason Wark of the Bombers got the first goal of the night on a power play.
The Broncos finally found a hole and got the puck past Buffalo at 10:45 of the third, thanks to Davies, assisted by Alex Forsberg, again on the power play.
Regulation time ran out with the score still tied at one, so as in Game 1 of the series, play headed into overtime.
But it didn't take two periods of OT for a decision this time.
Cody Pongracz scored the winning goal at 12:20 of the first overtime, assisted by Davies and Forsberg.
Overall, the Broncos outshot the Bombers 47 to 40, and were one for four on the power play, while the Bombers were one for three.
The 2-1 win put the Broncos up 3-1 in the series. They had a chance to end it in Game 5 at home on March 29.
