There is no downside to a four-game winning streak, but it is true there could have been more upside to the Newfoundland Growlers’ sweep of a recent homestand at Mile One Centre if only the victories had come against different opponents, more specifically against divisional foes.
Despite some roster bruises, the Growlers looked very good in knocking off the Atlanta Gladiators and Toledo Walleye in a pair of two-game series at Mile One, with a tidy ledger showing 17 goals for overall as opposed to nine against in that stretch.
But neither the Walleye or Gladiators are in the ECHL’s North Division, where the Growlers (9-5-0) sit in second place. And therefore, Newfoundland didn’t get the double benefit of adding points to its own kitty while at the same time denying them to an interdivisional rival.
The Growlers will certainly get the chance to pull off some double whammies over the next 10 days during a seven-game road trip that begins in Glens Falls, N.Y., tonight against the Adirondack Thunder (7-5-2).
“These are all going to be tough games and they are all important games. The road is always a test, but this is going to be a big test for us.” — head coach John Snowden
All seven games are against North Division counterparts, including three straight this weekend against the first-place Reading Royals (10-4-2), sitting four points ahead of the Growlers, who have two games in hand.
“It’s a challenge, beginning with the fact were’s starting off in Adirondack, because that’s a tough place to play, and then we’re into Reading, which is playing some real good hockey right now,” said Growlers head coach John Snowden as he looked ahead to the three-in-three weekend versus the Royals.
Reading has gone 4-0-1 in its last five games, but on the whole, the North Division has been good this season. Only the Worcester Railers (4-9-0) don’t have a record above .500. And overall, the seven teams in the North are 45-34-5, making for what is easily the best divisional record in the ECHL.
“These are all going to be tough games and they are all important games,” said Snowden. “The road is always a test, but this is going to be a big test for us.”
Newfoundland has been tested in other ways recently, with rookie defenceman Mac Hollowell and leading goal-scorer Scott Pooley recalled to the AHL Toronto Marlies, who have been hit hard by injuries, and the Growlers dealing with their own injury issues; neither veteran defenceman Alex Gudbranson or forward Colt Conrad, who is tied for the ECHL rookie scoring lead, were healthy enough to play Saturday as Newfoundland closed its Mile One stay with a 2-0 win over the Walleye.
🔷ST. JOHN'S MAPLE LEAFS🔷
— Newfoundland Growlers (@NLGrowlers) November 18, 2019
On Saturday, December 7th the BABY LEAFS return to Mile One Centre.
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But recent fill-ins have been more than cosmetic; for example, forwards Todd Skirving and Trey Bradley scored their first goals of the season during the homestand, as did defenceman Tommy Panico.
“It’s all part of making sure you build a team with depth so that no matter who’s in or who’s out, there is somebody who can fill roles and I think we’ve done a really good job of it,” said Snowden. “Guys who hadn’t played a whole lot or who hadn’t been relied on to play big minutes in early part of the season are doing that now, and they have been phenomenal for us.
“It’s a tribute to their willingness to stick with it and be patient and work hard in practice while they wait for their chance.”
Still, Snowden agrees it’s nice to be able to provide that opportunity, and says it’s also important opportunities become available in the AHL for someone like Pooley.
“Guys here have just bought into the idea of ‘just play’ and not worrying about getting called up. If you deserve to get the call, you have to trust it will happen sometime,” he said. “But the truth is that it’s good we have guys getting shots with the Marlies. After all, we are in the business of developing hockey players to the point they can eventually move up and move on.”
Gudbranson and Conrad did travel with the team Tuesday, but there is no certainty they will play tonight. In fact, the Growlers, who signed defenceman Mike Crocock out of the Southern Professional Hockey League last week, are expected to add another SPHL player, probably a forward.
Twitter: @telybrendan
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