The Newfoundland Growlers grabbed a 2-1 series lead with a 4-2 win over the Manchester Monarchs in the ECHL’s Kelly Cup playoffs Tuesday night.
At the SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H., rookies Giorgio Estephan, Scott Pooley and Matt Bradley potted unanswered goals as the Growlers carried a 3-0 lead five minutes into the third period.
Kevin Dufour, with his seventh goal in the post-season, finally got the Monarchs on the board at 16:40 of the third before Zach O’Brien restored Newfoundland’s three-goal lead with his fifth of the playoffs with less than three minutes remaining in regulation time.
Manchester’s Michael Doherty closed out scoring with an empty-net goal with six seconds left on the clock.
Michael Garteig was in net again for Newfoundland, stopping 39 shots.
Game 4 goes 8:30 p.m. (NL time) Wednesday night in Manchester.
