Overview
- The Toronto Marlies rallied for a 5-2 win on Friday to force a deciding Game 5, which is set for Sunday, May 24 at 3:00 p.m. EST in Rocket Arena, Cleveland.
- Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov stopped 36 shots in Game 4 and delivered the backbone of Toronto’s comeback, and coach John Gruden indicated Akhtyamov is expected to start the deciding game.
- Ryan Tverberg led the offence with two goals and an assist, giving him a three-point night and continuing a strong playoff run that has underlined his case for an NHL role.
- Jacob Quillan scored his first playoff goal on a Ben Danford assist, which was Danford’s first professional point, and several young players (Easton Cowan, Landon Sim, Noah Chadwick) drew praise for impact plays.
- Toronto’s power play snapped a 1-for-9 skid with two goals in Game 4, Gruden credited simplified matchups and lineup tweaks for the turnaround, and a late on-ice brawl signalled rising intensity ahead of the road decider.