“It hasn’t been easy. It’s not supposed to be easy at this time of the year.”
“ A lot of the credit goes to the other guys; we have a really good mix of great, older guys who have been around, have great leadership qualities, and who led us. And then we have a bunch of younger legs that followed.”
“No one was expecting anyone to put on a show. They just played as a team. Those are stressful games. I have to give credit. That is a really talented team that we just beat. They’re fast. They’re quick. Their transition game is second to none.”
“I am proud of our players for sticking with it and getting the job done. That one felt good. We have to enjoy this. We will, and then we still have a lot of work to do. We are excited about the opportunity.”
– John Gruden.
The Toronto Marlies of 2012 and 2018 were expected to go deep into the playoffs and potentially win a championship. This 2026 version stumbled into the postseason, finishing fourth in the North Division. Many fans and pundits expected an early exit against a division rival, given the available evidence.
A few notable additions have certainly made a difference, but the way this team has gelled and found ways to win in the playoffs is nothing short of remarkable.
First Period
The Marlies produced an excellent first-period performance on the road, limiting the Penguins to just two notable chances at five-on-five. Artur Akhtyamov denied Rutger McGroarty less than 30 seconds in before delivering another quality save at the midway mark to turn away Joona Koppanen. Aside from that, it was plain sailing for the smiling assassin.
Ben Danford is showcasing some good offensive instincts in these playoffs and did so again when jumping into the play after a nice zone entry from the first line. After receiving a drop pass, Danford’s shot produced a huge rebound.
The fourth line pinned WBS down at the six-minute mark, running them ragged and generating two Grade-A chances for Marc Johnstone, who became frustrated and took an undisciplined penalty. It proved costly when Aidan McDonough ripped a shot past Akhtyamov seconds into the power play.
Toronto almost delivered the perfect response from the restart. On a partial breakaway, Logan Shaw was stopped, but the rebound fell to Vinni Lettieri, who somehow failed to convert from close range.
Sergei Murashov denied Luke Haymes and Cédric Paré from the slot as the Russian netminder attempted to outduel his counterpart at the other end of the ice.
Landon Sim overstepped the mark while playing his role as agitator and was assessed the rarely called “playing with opponent’s stick” penalty. Fortunately, the Marlies killed off the penalty to trail by just a single goal through 20 minutes.
Second Period
The Marlies‘ middle-frame performance was also excellent, aside from the occasional individual mistake.
Toronto did little with a power play inside the opening minute but remained strong at five-on-five. Grade-A chances for Alex Nylander, Easton Cowan and Lettieri went untaken as Murashov worked to keep his team afloat.
Just when WBS thought it had staved off the onslaught, Toronto struck at the nine-minute mark. A wild shot from McGroarty rang around the boards, allowing Danford to spring Ryan Tverberg. After working a give-and-go with Luke Haymes, Tverberg was in tight on Murashov. The rebound from Tverberg’s initial effort was buried by Easton Cowan.
Chances for McDonough and Ville Koivunen threatened to restore WBS’ lead, but Akhtyamov was there when his team needed him.
Cowan took a “responsible” penalty to deny WBS an almost certain goal after a mistake from Tverberg led to an odd-man rush late in the frame. Not for the first time during this playoff run, the Marlies‘ penalty kill stood firm at a crucial point in the game.
Third Period
Akhtyamov excelled in the battle of the goaltenders in the final frame, producing six excellent saves, none better than the one on Mikhail Ilyin in the final minute of regulation.
The Marlies not only killed off an early penalty but almost scored a shorthanded goal via a familiar source, as Tverberg terrorized the WBS power-play unit with his relentless motor.
Toronto struggled to generate much at five-on-five until late in the frame. A one-timer from Henry Thrun was turned aside, and Murashov produced a blocker save on Nylander following good build-up play by Cowan.
Overtime
It wouldn’t be the playoffs for the Marlies without some drama. The OT period was full of ebbs and flows as both teams took turns attacking in waves. The standard of goaltending was exceptional, with the pair combining to make nine high-danger saves.
As any coach would tell you, it’s the small details that add up to make all the difference in tightly contested playoff hockey. Groulx chased down a loose puck and forced Chase Pietila to chip it into the end of the bench, resulting in an offensive-zone faceoff for Toronto in the left circle.
Paré won possession back to Borya Valis, whose attempted one-timer was blocked. Valis did a brilliant job of preventing a WBS clearance, jamming the puck along the wall before making a smart play to dish it off to Nylander. The Swedish forward drove toward the hash marks and found a hole in the goalie to spark the celebrations.
Post-Game Notes
– This marked Toronto’s second overtime victory of the series and the third dramatic finish of what was an enthralling Conference Final matchup. Credit to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for an incredible regular season and playoff run. Their MVP was clearly Sergei Murashov, a goaltender Pittsburgh fans should be excited about for the future.
For Toronto, it marks the culmination of a gruelling 19-game journey to become Eastern Conference champions and book a berth in the Calder Cup Finals. For the fourth consecutive series, Toronto will be the underdog and concede home-ice advantage, but only a fool would count this team out from going all the way.
Per AHL PR, the club’s .569 points percentage is the lowest by an eventual Calder Cup finalist since Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (.538) reached the Finals in 2004.
– Artur Akhtyamov posted a .932 save percentage in the series against the WBS Penguins. Toronto won all three road games in Pennsylvania, and Akhtyamov recorded a .964 save percentage in those victories.
– Accountability and redemption. After owning his costly Game 4 error, Easton Cowan promised to be better. He delivered, scoring the game-winning goal in Game 5 to break WBS’ hearts before scoring the tying goal in this contest.
– Borya Valis has been forced to remain patient for his opportunities. After an excellent performance in Game 5, he backed it up again in this victory with a great effort leading to the series-winning goal. There will be difficult decisions to make if Jacob Quillan returns to full health.
Thanks for following along this far. I’ll endeavour to have a Calder Cup Finals preview online as soon as possible.
– Game 6 lineup:
Forwards
Groulx – Shaw – Lettieri
Cowan – Haymes – Tverberg
Valis – Paré – Nylander
Sim – Johnstone – Pezzetta
Defensemen
Thrun – Benning
Mermis – Villeneuve
Rifai – Danford
Goalies
Akhtyamov
Hildeby
