Marlies One Win Away From Calder Cup Title Behind Akhtyamov's Shutout
Goaltender made 24 saves in a shutout as Toronto beat Chicago 1-0 on Tuesday, marking his 18th straight postseason start.
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The Toronto Marlies are one win away from the Calder Cup after goaltender Artur Akhtyamov delivered a shutout Tuesday night against the Chicago Wolves in Game 3 of the American Hockey League championship series.
Akhtyamov made 24 saves in the 1-0 victory at Coca-Cola Coliseum. It marked his 18th consecutive start this postseason and his second clean sheet of the playoffs.
The Marlies struggled early, managing only five shots in the first period. But Akhtyamov kept them in it, then got stronger support in the second and third periods as Toronto took control of the game.
"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. "He really, really looks sharp."
Forward Easton Cowan, a Maple Leafs first-round pick, noted the turning point came early in the second period. "Start of the second period, we really just took a hold of the game, we were playing really good, and then obviously Artie made a lot of huge saves for us."
The Coca-Cola Coliseum crowd showered Akhtyamov with praise throughout the contest, chanting "Let's go Artie!" and "MVP!" repeatedly. "I didn't hear, to be honest, but that's great," Akhtyamov said of the crowd. "I love our fans. It was so noisy tonight, especially in these playoffs. So thank you."
During the regular season, the six-foot-two Russian posted a 2.88 goals-against average and .904 save percentage over 37 games. He was named to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic roster and made three NHL appearances with the Maple Leafs this season. Akhtyamov has been backed up by Dennis Hildeby throughout the Marlies' playoff run, but with Akhtyamov playing at this level, Hildeby is unlikely to get another opportunity.