The Toronto Marlies tonight (7 p.m. ET,
, Sportsnet 360, NHL Network, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio).
Artur Akhtyamov Made 24 saves easton cowan On Tuesday, the Marlies scored the only goal of the game at 2:47 of the second period to help them win 1-0 and take a 3-0 lead in the series. They are seeking their second title in nine seasons after winning the title in 2018.
Tuesday’s goal was the second game-winner of the postseason for Cowan (8-6-14), whose 14 points tied him with Colorado TJ Hughes For the most rookies in these playoffs.
Akhtiamov (14-6, 2.10, .928) was in net for the Mali 18th consecutive start and won for the ninth time in the last 11 games. This is the 51st elimination in the history of the Calder Cup finals. Hunter Shepard In 2023, Hershey defeated Coachella Valley 1-0 in overtime in Game 5.
“We’ve done a really good job of putting ourselves in this position and we know what’s at stake, but we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves,” Toronto head coach John Gruden Said after the third game. “We know how we need to play…we just have to make sure we simplify things. The rest will take care of itself.”
Chicago outscored Toronto 13-5 in the first quarter, but the game was still scoreless. The Marlies turned things around, outscoring the Wolves 23-11 the rest of the way and improving to 6-1 in one-goal playoff games.
Vinny Lettieri (10-14-24) Cowan’s goal received an assist, which was his seventh point in the finals.
After conceding 11 goals in the first two games, Kayden Primo (8-8, 2.63, .916), stopped 27 of 28 shots for Chicago in Game 3.
“Prems is a great professional with a great pedigree,” Wolves head coach Spiros Anastas said Primeau, who begins the 2025-26 regular season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. “He’s been critical to our success and we believe he can win Game 4.”
Facing elimination in the Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves won twice on the road, defeating Colorado in Games 6 and 7 to advance.
“It could be an advantage for us now. We have nothing to lose now,” Anastas said. “Maximum pressure, 60 minutes. You either win or you lose, that’s it. Everyone is counting on us, so maybe that allows us to play more freely.”
Quick click:
- Felix Unger Sorum (3-6-9) returned to Chicago on Tuesday after missing the previous seven games. Jacob Quinlan (1-6-7) returns to the Marlies lineup after missing five games.
- There have been 19 sweeps in the history of the Calder Cup Finals (17 wins from seven games, 2 wins from five games). The most recent was Lake Erie’s win over Hershey in 2016.
- Game 3 marked the 18th elimination of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, the most in a single playoff season. In 2004, 17 factories ceased production.
- Chicago went 1-for-10 on the power play in the series, while Toronto went 0-for-9. No team has gone an entire Finals series without scoring since the 1994 Portland Pirates (0-for-20) against Moncton.
- This is the fifth time in franchise history that the franchise has led 3-0 in a best-of-seven series. They managed to complete the sweep in each of their first four games.
- Chicago and Carolina are the fourth pair of affiliate teams in the past 30 years to reach the Finals in the same season, following Charlotte and Florida in 2025, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh in 2008, and Rochester and Buffalo in 1999.
- Toronto is seeking to become the sixth team in AHL history to win the Calder Cup after winning as many as four elimination games, joining the 2002 Chicago Wolves (four games), 2000 Hartford Wolfpack (five games), 1997 Hershey Bears (five games), 1989 Adirondack Red Wings (four games) and 1949 Providence Red Wings (four games).
