Toronto, Ont. (theahl.com)… Artur Akhtyamov‘s 24 saves and Easton Cowan goal led the Toronto Marlies to a 1-0 win against the Chicago Wolves in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals on Tuesday night.
The Marlies moved to within one win of their second Calder Cup championship. Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday at the Coca-Cola Coliseum (7 ET,Sportsnet 360, NHL Network, NHL Network Radio SiriusXM channel 91).
Akhtyamov (14-6) held the Marlies to a scoreless first half in which Chicago outscored them 13-5. Toronto took control in the second half with a 17-4 in shots, getting on the board when Cowan took the ice. Dakota Mermis to the right circle and let a shot slide past the Chicago keeper Cayden Primeau (8-8) at 2:47.
Vinnie LettieriThe assist was his seventh of the Finals and a postseason-leading 24 points.
Primeau made 27 Wolves.
Felix Unger Sörum was back in the Chicago game after missing the previous seven games. Jacob Quillan returned to the Marlies following a five-game absence.
A standing-room-only crowd of 8,211 watched the Marlies earn their fifth straight win and the first 1-0 playoff victory in franchise history.
(Toronto leads series, 3-0)
Game 1 – Friday, June 12 – Toronto 4, CHICAGO 2
Game 2 – Sun., June 14 – Toronto 5, CHICAGO 4 (OT)
Game 3 – Tue., June 16 – TORONTO 1, Chicago 0
Game 4 – Thursday, June 18 – Chicago at Toronto, 7:00
*Game 5 – Fri., June 19 – Chicago at Toronto, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sun., June 21 – Toronto at Chicago, 4:00
*Game 7 – Tue., June 23 – Toronto at Chicago, 8:00
*if necessary… All times in Mpumalanga
In the American Hockey League for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams and currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league’s top scorer in 2016.
