Marlies stayin’ alive in playoffs, will take Cleveland to fifth game

Game 5 is on Sunday at Rocket Arena, with a 3 p.m. puck drop.

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Published May 22, 2026  •  Last updated 14 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Toronto Marlies players and fans celebrate a goal in the team's 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Monsters in Game 4 of an AHL playoff series on May 22, 2026 at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. Photo by Barry McCluskey /Toronto Marlies

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The Maple Leafs were nowhere near the playoffs this season, while their farm team is going to its third deciding series game.

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That was determined Friday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum when the Marlies pushed past the usually stingy Cleveland Monsters 5-2. It’s back to Ohio for Game 5 for the North Division final after the Marlies went the distance against Rochester (best-of-three) and division-leading Laval (best-of-five, clinched on the road).

Game 5 is on Sunday at Rocket Arena, with a 3 p.m. puck drop.

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Artur Akhtyamov continues to impress, with the organization-influenced decision to keep coming back to the mid-round 2020 draft pick from Russia in big games. In his 10th appearance of these AHL playoffs, he made 36 saves, no doubt noted by other teams as they study the Leafs goalie conundrum.

Toronto will not be able to send Dennis Hildeby back to the minors next season without the risk of losing him on waivers with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll set for now ahead of him.

On Friday, Akhtyamov was at his best in the second period when his team started and finished on the penalty kill, and was outshot 12-4. He made a couple of save-and-rebound combos and snared some loose pucks on the goal line. Credit Cedric Pare with a vital shot block in the dying seconds.

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Earlier in the period, having exited near flawlessly from their zone most of the evening, the Columbus Blue Jackets affiliate was stifled in their own slot. Ryan Tverberg and Luke Haymes worked the puck to an open Alex Nylander, who had lots of time to deke Cleveland goaltender Zach Sawchenko and shoot high.

Henry Thrun sifted one through from the blueline on a screen early in the third, before Akhytamov denied Cleveland captain Brendan Gaunce on its fifth unsuccessful man advantage. Jacob Quillan, blanked in 11 playoff games, beat Sawchenko to clinch it.

There were three goals in the final three minutes of the game. On the Monsters’ 37th shot, Jack Williams jammed one past Akhtyamov to end his bid for a shutout. Tverberg added an empty-netter and Cleveland’s Luca Del Bel Belluz scored with 1:02 left.

The Marlies put some extra zest in the lineup with winger Landon Sim on a grinder line with Michael Pezzetta and Reese Johnson, Sim drawing the game’s first penalty, but Toronto’s power play missed the window to break the ice until Tverberg scored later in the first period. That broke a shutout string for Sawchenko that stretched back to Game 2 and included a 4-0 Game 3 win.

That Tverberg marker was from a nice William Villeneuve schnook at the Monsters’ blueline to set up Tverberg’s fourth of the playoffs. But two power play chances in the period ended prematurely because of Toronto fouls.

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