The Newfoundland Growlers have been among the top teams in the ECHL all season and showed that once again by rattling off four straight victories to eliminate the Adirondack Thunder in five games in the North Division semifinals. The Growlers got the only wakeup call they needed in a Game 1 loss, winning each of the next four games by multiple-goal margins.

Newfoundland is moving on thanks to a 3-0 shutout win in Game 5. 

Pavel Gogolev got the scoring started 2:07 into the game and Mikko Kokkonen hammered a puck home from the point just 1:50 later to put Adirondack on their heels early.

🚨 GOAL 🚨

KOKKO DOUBLES THE 🐶 LEAD!!!#STANDPROUD pic.twitter.com/JtDLgTX3K6

— z - Newfoundland Growlers (@NLGrowlers) April 30, 2023

Todd Skirving, who was celebrating his birthday Sunday, added another insurance goal before the halfway mark of the opening period. 

After that, it was a defensive and goaltending exhibition by Newfoundland as Dryden McKay stopped all 20 shots he faced with the Thunder generating just nine shots through the first two periods of play. Adirondack generated a few more chances down the stretch, but McKay was equal to the task.

Massive stop by McKay ‼️#STANDPROUD pic.twitter.com/yuwBkcj3Us

— z - Newfoundland Growlers (@NLGrowlers) April 30, 2023

McKay, the 2022 Hobey Baker award winner at Minnesota State, finished the series with a .935 save percentage. He came on in relief in the Game 1 loss and was not part of the decision, so he's also at a perfect 4-0 in his first four playoff starts as a professional. 

Zach O'Brien led the team in scoring in the opening round with nine points

Series Results

Game 1: Adirondack 5, Newfoundland 3
Game 2: Newfoundland 8, Adirondack 4
Game 3: Newfoundland 7, Adirondack 1
Game 4: Newfoundland 5, Adirondack 3
Game 5: Newfoundland 3, Adirondack 0

With the victory, Newfoundland has set a second-round date with the Reading Royals, a team they split the season series with as each team won five games in the head-to-head matchups.

The Royals ended their series Saturday night, dispatching the Maine Mariners in six games.

The schedule for the second-round series will be announced at a later date.