The Newfoundland Growlers stretched their ECHL-leading record to 10-5 with their fifth straight win Friday night, a 4-2 decision over the Manchester Monarchs.
Before 3,257 at Mile One Centre, the Growlers got a pair of goals from Scott Pooley and another one from Brady Ferguson to win the first of two straight games over the Monarchs.
The red-hot Ferguson opened scoring just 2:35 in, with his ninth goal on the year on the power play. The rookie out of Texas, who leads the league in scoring, has scored in three straight games, and has seven in his last eight starts.
However, Spencer Watson knotted the score with 59 seconds left in the opening period.
Nick Mutrey staked the Monarchs to a 2-1 lead 6:21 into the second, and it stood that way after 40 minutes of play.
However, it was all Newfoundland in the final 20 minutes, as the Growlers scored three unanswered goals.
Pooley knotted things with his third on the year 26 seconds in, and Marcus Power scored what would be the game-winning goal at the 2:13 mark. Power, from St. John’s, also scored in the Growlers’ last game, a 5-2 win over the Worcester Railers Wednesday night.
Pooley added an insurance marker with 4:10 left in regulation time.
Michael Garteig was back in the Growlers’ goal after Mario Culina recorded the win Wednesday. Garteig stopped 26 shots for his seventh win.
The teams play again 7 o’clock Saturday night.
