Admirals top Moose 3-2 in 4th straight win

MILWAUKEE -- Justin Kirkland scored in regulation and also connected in the shoot-out as the Admirals won for the fourth straight game with a 3-2 shoot-out victory over the Manitoba Moose in front of nearly 8,000 screaming kids in a Baird School Day Game on Wednesday morning.

It was also the second consecutive game to finish in a shoot-out and moved the Admirals record to 8-1 in the shoot-out. Those eight wins tie a team AHL record for shoot-out victories.

Anders Lindback turned aside 24 shots and both Manitoba shoot-out attempts to pick up his league-leading 25th win of the season.

Kirkland got the Admirals on the board with a shorthanded tally at the 9:55 mark of the first period. Mark Zengerle picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and tapped it ahead to Kirkland, who was gone on a breakaway, eventually shoveling a backhand top shelf for his sixth of the season.

Less than a minute later Captain Trevor Smith pushed Milwaukee's lead to 2-0. Smith grabbed the rebound of a Freddy Allard shot out of mid-air, dropped it and fired one past Manitoba goalie Eric Comrie.

The Moose cut the Ads lead in half 5:54 into the second period courtesy of JC Lipon's 11th of the year and then tied it up with a 5-on-3 tally by Sami Niku just over seven minutes into the third period.

Following a entertaining but scoreless overtime, Kirkland got the ball rolling in the shoot-out by connecting for the seventh time in eight tries this year. Lindback denied Mike Sgarbossa before Freddy Gaudreau scored for the Ads to put them on the precipice of victory, which they achieved when Nic Petan missed his chance.

The Admirals continue their four-game homestand by hosting the Chicago Wolves on Friday night at 7 pm at Panther Arena. After the game is done country music star Hunter Hayes will perform LIVE for FM106/Coors Light Country Music Night!

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