It was a productive weekend for the Adirondack Thunder despite losing both games in the overtime period. Newfound is currently leading the North Division and have now won 14 straight on home ice, so two points in two games for an Adirondack team, who has struggled, isn’t terrible and for now, I won’t complain about these two games. Those of you following along know the Thunder like to play more than 60 minutes on a nightly basis as they have lost 10 of 12 games that have gone into overtime/shootout. The ECHL record for overtime/shootout losses is 18, set by the Mobile Mystick during the 2001-02 regular season.
Friday Night
After falling behind early on and giving up two goals within 0:55 seconds of each other, Adirondack would find some life with 0:18 seconds left in the first period as Casey Pierro-Zabotel would get a pass right in front of the net while the Thunder were on the PP to cut the lead to one. Pierro-Zabotel has now found the back of the net in four straight games. Adirondack would use that goal as a momentum builder later on as Nikita Popugaev would re-direct a Blake Thompson shot to tie up the game at two with five minutes remaining in the game’s third period.
The Thunder would only allow six shots on net in the final forty minutes of regulation. However, Giorgio Estephan would score an absolutely highlight reel goal to give the Growlers their lucky number 13th straight win on home ice in St. John’s.
Eamon McAdam looks to be finding his groove in between the pipes despite taking yet another loss. McAdam kept the Thunder in the game, making multiple big saves and would end up making 16 saves behind a Thunder defence that had one of its rare solid nights in front of the Pennsylvania native.
Goals:
First Period:
NFL: 4:22 Brazeau (13) from Kapla
NFL: 5:17 Luchuk (12) from Estephan and Neugold
ADK: 19:42 Pierro-Zabotel (17) from Tonge and Linhart (PP)
Second Period: No Scoring
Third Period:
ADK: 15:14 Popugaev (4) from Thompson
OT:
NFL: 2:03 Estephan (13) from Neugold and Luchuk
Saturday Night
The Thunder like they have done plenty of times come back from a two-goal deficit to lose the game in OT. Newfoundland had seemed to get the first goal in the first period before it was surprisingly called back due to goaltender interference which kept the Growlers off the scoreboard for the time being.
Colton Conrad would get the Growlers on the board at the 4:11 mark of the game’s first period on a nice back-handed goal while crashing into Thunder goaltender Evan Cormier. Zach O’Brien would double the Growlers lead on a power play goal about three and a half minutes later. Adirondack would be fortunate enough to get a five-on-three with 3:50 remaining in the third and Jake Linhart would net the puck just as the first penalty expired to cut the Newfoundland lead to one.
Adirondack wouldn’t waste time tying the game up as less than five minutes into the third period Mike Szmatula would find a loose puck after Alex Tongue was denied on a breakaway chance, but Redmond would allow a rebound that Szmatula would find and put the puck in the back of the net to tie the game up at two. Ludvig Larsson would almost win the game for the Thunder as he would hit the goal post with about two minutes left in the game’s final frame.
O’Brien would get the game-winning goal all by himself to make it 14 straight on home ice for the Growlers. Newfoundland goaltender Angus Redmond remained perfect this year as he has won all seven games that he’s started in this season.
Goals:
First Period: None
Second Period:
NFL: 4:11 Conrad (5) from Brazeau
NFL: 7:40 O’Brien (9) from Power and Johnston (PP)
ADK: 16:56 Linhart (4) from Sissons (PP)
Third Period:
ADK: 4:16 Szmatula (14) from Popugaev and Tonge
OT:
NFL: 2:51 O’Brien (10) from Ferguson and Sapego
What’s Next for the Thunder
The Thunder will finally get some much-needed rest as their schedule becomes somewhat respectable for the next month. They will have the whole week off before playing two very important games next weekend against the Worcester Railers on Friday night and the Maine Mariners following that on Saturday. It would be very nice to see Adirondack get three out of a possible four points during those next two road games.