Marlies back – Artur Akhtyamov heads back into goal for the Marlies after Chicago Wolves coach Spiros Anastas claimed his team “cracked” the playoff MVP in a 4-3 Game 4 comeback. The series swung hard with Akhtyamov’s worst single-game save percentage (.846) and a late mista
When Chicago coach Spiros Anastas tried to plant doubt about Artur Akhtyamov, the Toronto Marlies didn’t flinch. They uncorked their answer with a straight message of their own: Akhtyamov will be back in the pipes less than 24 hours after Chicago’s Viktor Neuchev froze the clock in the 64th minute and ended Toronto’s hope of a sweep with a 4-3 Game 4 comeback at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Anastas didn’t soften the blow. “I think we may have cracked him a little bit today,” he said after Game 4, pointing to “our urgency around the net.” Akhtyamov, Toronto’s scrappy playoff MVP, had logged his worst single-game save percentage of the postseason at .846.
But the Calder Cup still isn’t on ice — not yet. Toronto had led 3-1 with just 20 minutes remaining. and despite the late swing. the series didn’t collapse into a coronation for Chicago. Toronto coach John Gruden swept away the idea that the Wolves had found a roadmap to the undersized Russian netminder.
“Arty doesn’t understand English anyway. It doesn’t matter. He has no idea what he’s saying,” Gruden quipped, with champagne still waiting in the wings. “He’s been outstanding for us. We’re not here to point fingers. We will be better tomorrow for him. in front of him. making sure we clear out and they don’t get those second chances like they did. But he’s been outstanding.”.
That “tomorrow” is here fast. Gruden confirmed that both Chicago’s Cayden Primeau and Akhtyamov are expected back for the next game. with Chicago also refusing to manage the load after the emotion of Game 4. “Since they got him figured out, I’m gonna play Arty tomorrow. We’re gonna play Arty. No secrets here,” Gruden said. “Arty’s been the best goalie in these playoffs, and I expect him to be great again tomorrow night.”.
For much of Game 4, the Marlies looked like the team on the verge of finishing it. They handled their first-period power play. killed off a critical and lengthy 5-on-3 in the second. and carried a 21-5 shot advantage before Chicago’s pressure finally tilted the ice. The Wolves, meanwhile, have turned survival into identity. They are now 4-0 in elimination games, chasing every last chance like it’s the last one.
Anastas leaned into that reality with Game 7 talk already in his mouth. “We fight back,” he said. “So, Game 7 tomorrow.” Technically, Friday is Game 5, and puck drop can’t come soon enough for Chicago defenceman William Villeneuve, the man who admitted he gave away the puck that ended Game 4.
“I just can’t make that play in overtime,” Villeneuve said, unprompted. “It’s unacceptable.” Captain Logan Shaw didn’t want his teammate stuck in it. “It comes to the belief and the faith that we have in each other. and every night we say we’re playing for each other. That’s what we’re playing for,” Shaw said. “Obviously. everyone wants to win. everyone wants to get a contract. everyone wants to move up and play in the NHL. but right now we’re here for each other.”.
The Marlies know exactly what kind of swing they just ate. Their room was quiet, Shaw said, after:
— blowing a two-goal lead late,
— not delivering a title in a next-goal-wins scenario,
— featuring “brilliant looks” from Bo Groulx, Easton Cowan, and Alex Nylander,
— and committing the final error while missing the last save.
“It’s a little heartbreaking,” Shaw said, before quickly shifting focus. “Look, we’re the only two teams in the world that are still playing. You look at all the European leagues, NHL, the East Coast, everyone’s done. So. I mean. there’s a lot of eyes on these games for sure. but we’re playing for the love of the game right now.
“We’re playing for each other, and it’s a pretty special atmosphere to play in right now.”
Now that atmosphere moves back to Chicago, where the Wolves host games 6 and 7 if necessary. Gruden clearly wants that crowd — and that momentum — to remain hungry, not satisfied. “We can fix it real quick and be really good tomorrow night. because it’s going to be a great game. ” he said. “I mean, our guys should want to play in these situations, in these clutch moments.”.
If Game 4 felt like a step toward the finish line for Toronto. the response is immediate: Akhtyamov gets another chance. Villeneuve’s mistake is already being boxed into the past. and both teams will meet again as the series tightens after the Wolves proved they can claw back fast — and the Marlies proved they’re not looking for excuses. only answers.
Marlies Akhtyamov Chicago Wolves Calder Cup Game 4 Game 5 Spiros Anastas John Gruden Viktor Neuchev William Villeneuve Logan Shaw Bo Groulx Easton Cowan Alex Nylander Cayden Primeau