The rings were solid gold.
The power play was just plain solid.
The Newfoundland Growlers’ power play stayed plugged in Saturday night, producing three goals, as the Growlers posted their third straight a win, a 5-2 victory over the Brampton Beast in ECHL action before a crowd of just over 5,000 at Mile One Centre in St. John’s.
On a night the defending ECHL champions handed out rings to commemorate their Kelly Cup win in June, returning forward Giorgio Estephan had two goals and an assist for Newfoundland (3-1) and joined newcomers Aaron Luchuk, Colt Conrad and Justin Brazeau in extending their early-season scoring streaks. All have at least one point in the Growlers’ first four games.
Conrad, the rookie forward who leads the ECHL with 10 points, scored his second goal of the season, while Brady Ferguson and Scott Pooley, with an empty-netter, also tallied for Newfoundland, which closes out a five-game season-opening homestand tonight (7 p.m.) against the Beast.
Brampton captain Jordan Henry and veteran Dave Pacan replied for Brampton (1-2).
Henry opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game, but Newfoundland took the lead before the end of the first period as Estephan registered his first goal of the night, then assisted on Ferguson’s power-play marker in the final minute of the frame.
Maksim Zhukov made 21 saves in the Growlers’ net, while Brampton’s Joey Daccord faced 34 shots at the other end.
Estephan was the game’s first star, while Luchuk, who played for Brampton last season, got the second-star nod with two assists. Defenceman Garrett Johnston completed a three-star sweep for the home side.
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Twitter: @telybrendan
