The Newfoundland Growlers put on a quite a show Tuesday night at Mile One Centre.
Too bad more weren’t on hand to see it.
Giorgio Estephan and Brady Ferguson each scored twice, while Zach O’Brien had assists on those four goals as the Growlers defeated the Adirondack Thunder 7-3.
But for all the good numbers posted by a home side that dominated the reigning ECHL North Division champions, the one that many people might be talking about is the crowd.
Announced paid attendance was 3,043, but there were fewer than that in the stands.
It was the first weekday game of the season and that was expected to negatively impact attendance, but it was still a little jarring to see that Mile One wasn’t half full, especially after the opening-game sellout of 6.285 Friday and a follow-up of 5,300-pus Saturday.
How Tuesday’s poor weather and/or the disappearance of the buzz of opening weekend might have played roles have to be considered, but whatever the case, the Growlers (2-1-0) must be hoping this won’t be the norm for their remaining 11 weekday games at Mile One.
Those who were on hand watched a Newfoundland side that dominated from the outset, jumping to a 2-0 lead on goals by Estephan (the Growlers’ first-ever power-play tally) and Ferguson just over six minutes into the contest.
Outside of a failed penalty-shot attempt by Peter MacArthur — thwarted by a sprawling save by Michael Garteig — the visitors didn’t have many quality scoring chances in the opening frame. However, the Thunder (1-1-0) rumbled a bit in the second period, getting a power-play tally from John Edwardh and a marker by Conor Riley off a goal-mouth scramble.
But it was still a period owned by the Growlers, as Estephan and Ferguson both scored again, while Semyon ‘Sam’ Babintsev and Ryan Moore registering dagger goals, made all the sharper as they came in the last 80 seconds before intermission.
Babintsev’s was the nicest of the night, as he played give-and-go with Ferguson before sniping a water-bottle popping shot over the short-side shoulder of Adirondack starting goalie Colton Phinney.
Phinney was out for the start of the third period, replaced by the PA announcer-challenging Alex Sakellaropoulus, and Adirondack showed some resolve, with Shane Conacher getting a third for the Thunder.
In fact, by game’s end, Newfoundland was outshot 31-30. But after Conacher’s goal, there was no more scoring by Adirondack.
It was the Growlers’ Scott Pooley who closed out the scoresheet with his first of the season late in the proceedings.
DOG BITES
Zach O’Brien, whose four points were his first of the season, was the game’s first star. Brady Ferguson and Giorgio Estephan were second and third stars, respectively …With netminder Eamon McAdam on recall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Grand Falls-Windsor native A.J. Whiffen was signed as an emergency backup to Garteig. The Growlers had arranged to bring in former Ontario Hockey League goalie Mario Culina, but his Tuesday flight to St. John’s was diverted to Deer Lake by the inclement weather. The Growlers did arranged for Culina to catch a PAL flight to St. John’s, but it only arrived about half an hour before game time, so they went with Plan B and Whiffen, who has backstopped both the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts and C.B.N. CeeBee Stars to Herder provincial senior titles… Culina is sticking around and is in line to be dressed for tonight’s rematch against the Thunder (7 p.m.) ... By the way, it was Growlers’ goaltending coach Marek Benda who was the second goalie in practice skates the last couple of days ... Forward Todd Skirving, signed by Newfoundland earlier Tuesday, was in his new team’s lineup hours later. Among the teams the Thunder Bay, Ont. native has played for are the Orlando Solar Bears, the Maple Leafs’ former ECHL affiliate… Growlers D-man and former NHLer Adam Pardy, who has been wearing a non-contact jersey in practice, did not dress for a third straight game. Other Newfoundland scratches Tuesday: Scott Trask, Josh Kestner, Max Mizyurin, Jimmy Soper, Kristian Pospisil and Carter Struthers …
