Three players just returned from the American Hockey League contributed to the latest home-ice victory — and latest comeback win — by the Newfoundland Growlers, who defeated the Adirondack Thunder 5-3 in ECHL play at Mile Once Centre Tuesday night.
It was a league-leading 12th home-ice win and ninth in a row at Mile One for the Growlers (19-10-0), who close out their pre-Christmas schedule with a game against the Thunder (11-12-5) tonight. After that, they don't play again until Dec. 30.
Forwards Brady Ferguson and Scott Pooley, both reassigned from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Monday, each had a goal for Newfoundland, while rookie defenceman Mac Hollowell, who came back from the Marlies on the same day, had an assist and plus-three rating as part of a first-star performance for the Growlers Tuesday night.
While the game ended well for the Growlers, it hadn’t started well, with Adirondack scoring on two of its first three shots, with Nikita Popugaev and Matt Salhany getting the goals. That led to Newfoundland starting netminder Maksim Zhukov being replaced by Parker Gahagen and less than four minutes later, the Growlers got on the goal on a goal by rearguard Evan Neugold.
It was the first of three straight opening-period tallies by the home side, as Ferguson, with his team-leading 14th goal of the season, and Pooley, with his 11th on a shorthanded effort, scored before the first intermission.
Ryan Walker tied the game on a Thunder power play with the only goal of the second period, but Newfoundland rookie Justin Brazeau scored what would be the game winner on a power play just over a minute into the third. That was later followed by an insurance tally by Growlers leading scorer Giorgio Estephan.
Gahagen made 33 saves and was the third star in a game he did not start. Ferguson was the second star selection.
Former Newfoundland goalie Eamon McAdam, faced 37 shots.
Dog Bites
Newfoundland is 12-2-0 at hhome this season ... Attendance Tuesday was 2,769 …Estephan has 22 points (12G, 21A) and is in third place in overall league scoring … Defenceman Mike Crocook, placed on waivers by Newfoundland earlier this week, has been claimed by the Reading Royals. Reading is in second place in the ECHL’s North Division, four points behind the Growlers. The Royals have a game in hand
Twitter: @telybrendan
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