The Toronto Marlies, once an afterthought in the autumn, have transformed into the boys of summer. On Sunday, they secured a spot in the Calder Cup final for the first time since 2018, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2-1 in overtime in Game 6 of their best-of-seven series.
Overtime Heroics
Winger Alex Nylander scored with 6 minutes and 16 seconds remaining in overtime, capping a thrilling victory. Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov delivered another stellar performance, making 39 saves, including 25 in the third period and overtime. The win marked the first time this postseason that the Marlies won a series without needing a decisive game, having previously gone the distance against Rochester, Laval, and Cleveland.
Road to the Final
Toronto will face either the Colorado Eagles or the Chicago Wolves in the championship series. The Eagles held a 3-2 lead in their series heading into Sunday's game. Regardless of the opponent, the Marlies will open the final on the road before hosting Game 3 at Coca-Cola Coliseum on June 16, with potential Game 4 and Game 5 on June 18 and June 19, respectively.
Captain's Pride
“The best way to describe it is I’m so proud of these guys,” said captain Logan Shaw. “To come out tonight, not back down, go the distance so many times and win a couple in overtime … at this stage, we’re doing this for each other. It’s awesome to play this far into June. For our younger guys, my message was you might think you’ll get this far again in future years, but nothing is given.”
Game Highlights
The Penguins took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Aidan McDonough. The Marlies responded midway through the second period when Easton Cowan knocked in a rebound from Ryan Tverberg, with Luke Haymes drawing the other assist. Cowan’s goal was his seventh of the playoffs, adding to his 11 regular-season goals as a rookie. Nylander, a former Penguin playing in the shadow of his brother William, sealed the win with a snap shot past Sergei Murashov, assisted by Borya Valis and Cedric Pare.
Akhtyamov's Impact
Shaw credited Akhtyamov for the team's success: “He’s the reason we are where we are. He’s kept us in games where we made it hard on ourselves.” Akhtyamov made 32 saves in Game 5 and continued his stellar play in Game 6.
The Marlies now await their opponent as they prepare for a Calder Cup championship run.
