The Toronto Marlies are one win away from winning the 2026 Calder Cup. On Tuesday night at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, the Marlies defeated the Chicago Wolves 1-0. With the win, the Marlies lead the best out of seven series three games to none.
Toronto’s lone goal scorer was Easton Cowan of Mount Brydges, Ontario. Cowan, who was the Toronto Maple Leafs’s first round pick, 28th overall, in the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft, scored from Dakota Mermis and Vinni Lettieri at 2:47 of the second period.
It was also a sensational game for Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov. He made 24 saves overall. Akhtyamov had 13 saves in the first period, four saves in the second period, and seven saves in the third period. The Russian goaltender was the Maple Leafs’s fourth round pick, 106th overall, in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. A Halloween baby from 2001, Akhtyamov had his second career American Hockey League postseason shutout. The first came on April 22 in a 5-0 Marlies win over the Rochester Americans. Akhtyamov made 16 saves.
The Calder Cup Playoffs continues in Toronto with game four on Thursday. Note that the Wolves are not the top affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. They are the top affiliate of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
