The Toronto Marlies moved within one victory of securing the Calder Cup after defeating the Chicago Wolves 1-0 in Game 3 of the American Hockey League championship series on Tuesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov stopped all 24 shots he faced to record a 60-minute shutout, while forward Easton Cowan scored the lone goal 2:47 into the second period to give Toronto a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
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The Marlies outshot the Wolves 28-24 overall, though Toronto went 0-for-4 on the power play and Chicago finished 0-for-3 with the man advantage, following the Marlies' previous road victories of 4-2 and 5-4 in overtime.
Akhtyamov Shines in Net
Akhtyamov made his 18th consecutive postseason start on the same day the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies' NHL affiliate, traded goaltender Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers after Woll led the club in games played over the last two seasons.
"He just looks pretty calm in that net, makes the big saves if he has to, and I think that might have been his best," said Marlies head coach John Gruden.
The six-foot-two Russian netminder, who posted a 2.88 goals-against average in the regular season and made three NHL appearances this year, improved his playoff statistics after entering the night with a 2.21 GAA and .
924 save percentage.
"He really, really looks sharp," said Gruden.
The Marlies struggled early with only five shots in the opening frame, but the home crowd of 8,211 fans rallied behind the team and chanted "MVP!"
