Since Wade Flaherty left the Milwaukee Admirals after leading the team to the 2004 Calder Cup title, he had stopped 118 of 122 shots his former mates had thrown at him in three games.
On Friday night, the Admirals needed to change their style to beat Flaherty. Literally.
Adorned in dizzying plaid jerseys, the Admirals used a hat trick from Chris Durno to top the Manitoba Moose, 7-4, at the Bradley Center.
The jerseys, which originated in the Admirals’ mid-90’s TV commercials with Bob Uecker, will be auctioned off after tomorrow’s game.
Durno scored once in each period for his first career hat trick, added an assist and set an AHL season-high with a plus-6 rating for the night.
Scottie Upshall and Greg Zanon also scored in the first period as Milwaukee chased Flaherty by netting three goals on 14 shots in 20 minutes.
The Admirals opened the lead to 5-1 late in the second period before the Moose staged a rally, cutting the dificit to one just past the midway point of the third.
Kris Beech gave Milwaukee some breathing room with 5:22 to play.
Brandon Segal finished with a goal and two assists and Zack Stortini dished out three assists for the Admirals, while Brian Finley finished with 33 saves.
Elsewhere on Friday:
Donald MacLean scored twice to hit the 40-goal mark for the year, but Olivier Michaud made 34 saves to lift Hamilton past Grand Rapids, 3-2
Thomas Pock had a goal and two assists as Hartford scored three times on 5-on-3 power plays in the first period and held on for a 3-1 win in Albany
Dustin Penner tallied a goal and an assist as Portland beat Providence, 3-2
Tuomas Tarkki stopped 32 shots to help Chicago to a 2-1 shootout win at Philadelphia
Erik Westrum scored twice and Kirby Law added a goal and two assists for Houston in a 4-1 win over Iowa
Adam Hauser made 39 saves to lead Manchester to a 4-1 win at Norfolk
Trent Whitfield notched a goal and an assist and took a game-high eight shots in Peoria’s 3-2 victory over San Antonio
Andrew Penner made five of his 26 saves in overtime, then stopped four of five shootout attempts to lead Syracuse past Toronto, 3-2
Timo Helbling had a goal and an assist and Springfield outshot Bridgeport, 37-14, en route to snapping a six-game winless skid with a 5-2 win
Jeff Heerema recorded four assists in regulation and scored the only goal in the shootout to give Binghamton a 5-4 win at Rochester
Guillaume Lefebvre and Kenny Corupe scored early in the third period to lift Wilkes-Barre/Scranton past Lowell, 2-1
