Scott Pooley scored twice and Zach O’Brien had a goal and an assist in his first game back after time in the AHL as the Newfoundland Growlers downed the Atlanta Gladiators 5-3 in ECHL play at Mile One Centre Friday night.
The win improves the Growlers’ record to 6-5 and gives the defending Kelly Cup champions an opportunity to move two games above .500 for just the second time this season when they face the Gladiators in a rematch tonight (7 p.m.) at Mile One.
The weekend series is the first half of a four-game homestand that finishes up next weekend against the Toledo Walleye.
The Gladiators (4-4), the ECHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, opened the scoring when former QMJHL star Samuel Asselin registered his seventh goal of the season midway through the opening period. However, the Growlers had the lead by the first intermission on tallies by Pooley and O’Brien.
Luke Nogard got Atlanta back on even terms just 28 seconds into the second period, but big rookie Justin Brazeau restored Newfoundland’s lead as he blasted a shot past Gladiators goaltender Sean Bonar less than a minute later.
Another Growlers rookie, defenceman Joseph Duszak, scored what would hold up as the game-winner midway through the second and Pooley bought some insurance with his team-leading ninth goal at about the same point in the third.
Atlanta’s Josh Thrower completed the scoring with a too-little, too-late marker in the final minute of the game, played before 3,429.
Newfoundland directed 37 shots at Bonar, while Maksim Zhukov dealt with 23 in the Growlers’ goal.
There were no man-advantage goals. Newfoundland’s power-play, which has cooled off as of late was zero-fo-five, as was Atlanta’s.
Dog Bites
Newfoundland defenceman Alex Gudbranson played his first game of the 2019-20 campaign Friday after missing the first month of the season with an injury … The only time the Growlers had two more wins than losses this season was Oct. 18, when they were 3-1. It was a status they enjoyed for just one day as they lost to the Brampton Beast Oct. 19 … Goaltender Patrick Munson, released on waivers by Newfoundland earlier this week, has a new ECHL home after being signed by the Fort Wayne Komets. The Growlers let Munson goal after picking up Angus Redmond on loan from the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks … The three stars Friday were all Growlers' goal scorers: 1. Pooley 2. O'Brien 3. Duszak ...
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