The Toronto Marlies defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-1 in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Eastern Conference Final to take a 3-2 series lead. Bo Groulx, Easton Cowan and Marshall Rifai each recorded a goal and an assist for the Marlies, while Artur Akhtyamov made 32 saves on 33 shots.
After Wilkes-Barre/Scranton opened the scoring with a power-play goal from Mikhail Ilyin 6:22 into the second period, Toronto responded with five unanswered goals. Landon Sim got the comeback started just 49 seconds after the Penguins took the lead, and Cowan and Logan Shaw later extended the lead with goals 1:16 apart in the third period.
“He’s been a breath of fresh air for us,” head coach John Gruden said of Sim. “He brings a lot of jam, a lot of energy, and he’s making plays and doing his job.”
Toronto’s William Villeneuve has a seven-game scoring streak heading into Game 6 and leads all defensemen with 16 playoff points – the most by a blueliner since 2023. The Marlies are also converting at a 38.5 percent rate on the power play in the series, compared to the Penguins’ 88.0 percent penalty kill in earlier rounds.
The Penguins are now winless in six straight games against Toronto at Mohegan Arena, dating back to January 2022. They have not defeated the Marlies at home since Alex Nylander scored in overtime for the Pens.
In the Western Conference, the Colorado Eagles remain in control of their series against the Chicago Wolves, holding a 3-2 lead after a 7-3 win in Game 5. Tristen Nielsen led the way with two goals, giving him 10 in the postseason and a league lead. Colorado outshot Chicago 43-26 and has outshot opponents in 13 of 14 games this playoffs.
Trent Miner made 26 saves in the win, while T.J. Tynan and T.J. Hughes each added two assists. The Wolves were missing Felix Unger Sörum for the third straight game and saw Skyler Brind’Amour end a 17-game goal drought.
The next step for both series is Game 6. The Penguins will host the Marlies at 6:05 ET, while the Eagles will look to close out the Wolves at 8:05 ET.
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