KEELEY: MARINERS USE SPECIAL TEAMS TO SNAP GROWLERS HOME WIN STREAK
Mariners hand Newfoundland its first home loss since Oct. 19th
BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners
ST. JOHN’S, NL – February 15, 2020 – The Mariners’ special teams were perfect, going 2/2 on the power play and penalty kill on their way to a 3-1 win on Saturday night at the Mile One Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Morgan Adams-Moisan broke a 1-1 tie with a power play goal at 18:33 of the third period for the game-winner as Newfoundland lost on home ice for the first time since October 19th, their win streak snapped at 19 games.
Neither team scored in the opening 20 minutes, but both teams were robbed by the goal post as Newfoundland’s Riley Woods and Maine’s Sean Day both hit iron. The Mariners won the shot battle 11-9 in a first period that was void of penalties.
Early in the second, the Mariners went to the power play after a Matt Bradley crosscheck and Michael McNicholas cashed in a cross-ice pass from Lewis Zerter-Gossage to make it 1-0 Mariners at 1:29 of the middle frame. It remained 1-0 until late in the period when Woods was able to steal a puck from Day at the Mariners blue line and break in alone on Mariners’ netminder Francois Brassard, slipping a backhand between his pads. The score was tied at one through two periods with the Mariners holding a 22-14 shot advantage.
The teams traded chances late into the third when Newfoundland’s Aaron Luchuk shot the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty at 17:20 of the third, giving the Mariners their second power play of the game. Conner Bleackley’s shot from the right circle was blocked in front of Zhukov, leaving Morgan Adams-Moisan with a tap in to make it 2-1 Maine. At 19:21, with Zhukov pulled, Greg Chase chipped a puck to himself through the Growlers’ defense and skated in alone on an empty net to seal the game. McNicholas picked up assists on both goals for a three-point game.
Brassard made 22 stops to earn his fifth win of the year while Zhukov turned aside 31 of 33. The Mariners won the shot battle, 34-23. The win marked the first for the Mariners in Newfoundland in franchise history, after previously going 0-5-0-0.
After two days off, the Mariners and Growlers resume their series with games on Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning at 5:30 PM ET. After the road trips wrap up at Adirondack next Saturday, the Mariners will be back home on Sunday, February 23rd for “Miracle Night,” celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. The Mariners will be wearing Team USA inspired jerseys, which will go up for auction starting January 12th on the Handbid App. There will also be a postgame screening of the Disney movie on the video board. Groups of 10 or more can get discounted tickets to all games by calling 833-GO-MAINE. Individual tickets can be purchased at MarinersOfMaine.com, at the Trusted Choice Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena, or by calling 207-775-3458. All Saturday and Sunday home games feature the Family Four Pack – four tickets, four food and drink vouchers, and four Mariners beverage koozies, starting at $80, and must be purchased in advance.
