(Secondly), if you told me that (Akhtyamov) was going to be the goalie leading the way, I probably wouldn't have believed you," said Anastas.
Anastas noted that his team had previously faced Hildeby during the regular season.
"We faced Hildeby that weekend; he was outstanding. They're both great goaltenders, but (Akhtyamov's) on an incredible run right now, so you gotta respect him.
But because of that, you gotta really test him, and we didn't do enough of that today," said Anastas.
Following Cowan's decisive second-period marker, Gruden praised the young forward's overall performance and development.
"You can see the confidence and the growth after he scored that goal," said Gruden.
Cowan earned second-star honors for his performance behind Akhtyamov.
"How much better he played detail-wise, 200-foot game, he was making all the right plays, he was skating, he was creating, and that's when he's at his best," said Gruden.
Cowan acknowledged that finding his rhythm took some time during the opening games of the final series.
"First couple of games I couldn’t really find my groove, and then (in the) second period got a bounce there, and just kind of gets the juices flowing.
So just looking to keep that going Thursday (for Game 4)," Cowan said.
The game ended with physical drama when Chicago forward Nikita Pavlychev received a five-minute major and game misconduct for a high hit on Toronto defenseman Henry Thrun, who left the ice with assistance, though Gruden had no immediate medical update.
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The Toronto Marlies will attempt to complete a series sweep on home ice during Game 4 on Thursday, with Game 5 scheduled for Friday if necessary.
