THUNDER WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT WITH 5-1 VICTORY OVER GROWLERS

GLENS FALLS, NY – Cam Johnson made 34 saves in his ECHL debut, Adirondack saw goals from five different skaters and the Thunder won its fifth straight contest by a 5-1 final over the Newfoundland Growlers Tuesday night at Cool Insuring Arena.

Johnson was nearly perfect in his Thunder debut as he turned away 34 of the 35 shots he faced. His most impressive stop came late in the third period to keep the score 4-1. With Newfoundland on the power play, Kyle Cumiskey had ample time at the top of the right faceoff circle, teed up a wrister and Johnson took it away with a high glove save. His 34 saves recorded were the most by a Thunder netminder this season.

Pete MacArthur started the scoring six minutes into the game for Adirondack. James Henry flipped a pass off the boards that MacArthur took in behind the Growlers defense. He went backhand-forehand-top shelf to beat Newfoundland goalie Michael Garteig for his fourth score of the year. Henry, the ECHL’s leading scorer, was credited with his first of three assists on the night. 

Desmond Bergin doubled the Thunder lead with a power-play goal at 12:09 of the opening period. Mike Szmatula started the play by slipping a pass to John Edwardh behind the Growler cage. Edwardh went tic-tac-toe to feed a charging Bergin in front of the net for his fourth tally of the year. 

Adirondack extended its lead to 4-0 in the first half of the middle frame. First it was Brian Ward cleaning up a rebound after Garteig got a shoulder on Henry’s initial shot. It was Ward’s third of the season just 45 seconds into the second period. 

Shane Conacher followed with the Thunder’s second power-play tally at the 7:02 mark of the second. Conacher fed Henry below the red line who immediately returned the puck back to Conacher. The Canisius College product one-timed it in the top corner to make it a 4-0 Thunder lead. The score was Conacher’s fifth of the season which gave him sole possession of the team lead after MacArthur and Bergin had tied him earlier in the game.

Giorgio Estephan ruined Johnson’s bid for perfection with a power-play goal in the second. With Newfoundland on a 5-on-3 advantage, Estephan found a rebound and snuck it by a sprawling Johnson for the Growlers’ lone goal. 

Conor Riley put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal in the game’s final minutes, his fourth of the year. 

Adirondack completed its homestand a perfect 4-0-0 and will now head on the road for the next two games. The Thunder travels to Worcester on Friday to take on the Railers for the third time in 10 days. 

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