The Toronto Marlies are heading back to Ohio for a decisive Game 5 after a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Monsters on Friday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The win evens the North Division final at 2-2, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Akhtyamov Shines in Net
Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov continued his impressive playoff run, making 36 saves in his 10th appearance. The 2020 draft pick from Russia was at his best in the second period, when the Marlies were outshot 12-4 and spent much of the time on the penalty kill. He made several key saves and combos, and snared loose pucks on the goal line. Cedric Pare also contributed with a vital shot block in the dying seconds of the period.
Nylander's Power-Play Goal
Earlier in the second period, Alex Nylander scored on the power play to give the Marlies a 2-0 lead. Ryan Tverberg and Luke Haymes worked the puck to Nylander, who had plenty of time to deke Cleveland goaltender Zach Sawchenko and shoot high.
Third-Period Surge
Henry Thrun extended the lead early in the third period with a shot from the blueline that found its way through a screen. Akhtyamov then denied Cleveland captain Brendan Gaunce on the Monsters' fifth unsuccessful man advantage. Jacob Quillan, who had been scoreless in 11 playoff games, beat Sawchenko to make it 4-0 and clinch the win.
The final three minutes saw three goals. Jack Williams jammed one past Akhtyamov to spoil his shutout bid on Cleveland's 37th shot. Tverberg added an empty-netter, and Cleveland's Luca Del Bel Belluz scored with 1:02 left.
Game 5 Details
Game 5 is scheduled for Sunday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, with a 3 p.m. puck drop. The Marlies have already gone the distance against Rochester (best-of-three) and division-leading Laval (best-of-five, clinched on the road) in these playoffs.
Head coach John Gruden praised his team's resilience: "We knew it would be a battle. Cleveland is a tough team, but our guys stepped up when it mattered."
Marlies' Lineup Changes
The Marlies added some extra physicality with winger Landon Sim on a grinder line alongside Michael Pezzetta and Reese Johnson. Sim drew the game's first penalty, but Toronto's power play failed to capitalize until Tverberg scored later in the first period. That goal broke a shutout streak for Sawchenko that dated back to Game 2 and included a 4-0 win in Game 3.
William Villeneuve set up Tverberg's goal with a clever play at the Monsters' blueline. However, two power-play chances in the first period ended prematurely due to Toronto penalties.
The Marlies now face a winner-take-all Game 5 on Sunday. With Akhtyamov continuing to impress and the team showing resilience, they will look to advance to the next round.
