ROCKFORD, Ill. -- Justin Kirkland scored his first career hat trick to lead the Milwaukee Admirals to a 5-3 win over the Rockford IceHogs Friday at BMO Harris Bank Center.
Kirkland, who had just one goal this year, which he scored in the 40th game of the season, recorded Milwaukee’s first hat trick since Vladislav Kamenev scored three against Charlotte on Feb. 17, 2017. It was Milwaukee’s first hat trick on the road since Trevor Murphy recorded one at Bakersfield Feb. 5, 2016.
Kirkland scored at 2:42 of the third period to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Yakov Trenin sent a no-look pass from the right corner to the front of the goal. Kirkland, who wasn’t covered, caught the pass and slid a backhander past the outstretched left leg of IceHogs goalie Collin Delia for his second goal of the season. Trenin and Derek Army recorded the assists.
Kirkland scored his second of the game at 12:33 of the third period. Trenin flipped the puck through the slot from the left circle. Kirkland got his stuck on the puck and tapped it into the net. Assists went to Trenin and Trevor Smith.
Rockford’s John Hayden scored at 14:25 to interrupt Kirkland’s attempt at a natural hat trick. Hayden’s goal brought Rockford within one at 4-3.
Kirkland completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal shot from the Ads defensive zone at 18:31 of the third period.
Admirals goalie Anders Lindback stopped 33 shots to earn his American Hockey League-leading 20th win of the season.
The Admirals took a 1-0 lead at 11:34 of the first period. Jimmy Oligny fed a pass to Emil Pettersson along the right wing. With Oligny going into the offensive zone, Pettersson fired a pass to the left wing boards for Anthiny Richard. Richard spied an open Oligny in front of the IceHogs goal. After a counter-clockwise spin, Oligny deposited the puck into the net for his second goal of the season.
Rockford tied the game with a power play goal at 14:29 of the first period. Former Admirals defenseman Cody Franson snapped a shot from the right circle into the goal for his second marker of the season.
Milwaukee reclaimed the lead with a power play goal of its own at 18:35 of the first period. IceHogs defenseman Viktor Svedberg went to the penalty box for tripping at 18:31. Trevor Smith won the ensuing faceoff to Alex Carrier at the right point. Carrier slid the puck to Frederick Gaudreau at the left circle and his shot found the back of the net. It was Gaudreau’s seventh goal of the season, fourth on the power play.
The IceHogs tied it up at 2-2 when Darren Raddysh’s wrist shot from the right point went through a screen and into the goal at 14:18 of the second period. The goal was the fifth of the season for Raddysh.
Milwaukee returns home to host San Antonio Sat., Feb. 10 at Panther Arena.
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