Marlies Let 2-0 Series Lead Slip Away; Now Face Defining Game 5

After watching a 2-0 series lead disappear, the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies find themselves at a pivotal moment. What once looked like a comfortable path forward has become a best-of-three series against a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins team that has all the momentum. The good news? The Marlies have shown throughout this series that they can beat the Penguins, and with the series tied 2-2, a win in Game 5 would put them just one victory away from advancing.

The question now is whether Toronto can respond to the pressure and regain control of a series that suddenly feels very different from what it did a week ago.

The Marlies Have Lost Two Games in a Row on Home Ice

The Marlies blew a 2-0 lead in Game 4 and lost 4-3 to the Penguins, evening the series at two games apiece. If the Marlies ultimately lose this series, this may be the game Toronto and its fans look back on as the one that got away.

It wasn’t just that they surrendered three straight goals in the second period. Toronto entered the middle frame with a 2-0 lead and completely dominated the first nine minutes. The Marlies generated three clear-cut breakaways and several odd-man rushes, but they couldn’t solve Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov.

Meanwhile, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got a pair of fortunate goals from point shots that changed direction before reaching Marlies goalie Artur Akhtyamov. The first came at 3:14 of the period and the second at the nine-minute mark.

The Penguins gained a huge boost from that second goal, seized momentum, and controlled play for much of the remainder of the period. They eventually scored with just 51 seconds remaining in the frame to take a 3-2 lead.

Toronto regained control in the third period and finally tied the game at 13:04 on a goal resulting from a net-front scramble. Initially, the goal was waved off because Murashov appeared to have been bowled over and was unable to play the puck.

After a lengthy discussion among the four officials, however, it was determined that Murashov had been knocked down by his own defenceman, and the goal was awarded.

Sergei Murashov Turns The Game Around

The Marlies continued to press for the go-ahead goal, but once again Murashov stood tall. Toronto easily could have put the game away during its dominant stretch early in the second period. Instead, Murashov denied every opportunity that came his way and gave the Penguins a chance to climb back into the game.

By the time the final horn sounded, what looked like it might become a comfortable Marlies victory had turned into a Penguins comeback, with Murashov playing a major role in the turnaround.

Easton Cowan’s Brilliant Night Ends In Heartbreak

I’m going to take a brief detour here to talk about Easton Cowan. It was Cowan’s goal with 17 seconds remaining in regulation of the deciding Game 5 against the Cleveland Monsters that sent the Marlies into the Eastern Conference Final. This was also his first game back after suffering an upper-body injury in the opening game of that series, a game in which he also scored.

Earlier in Game 4, it was Cowan’s perfect tape-to-tape pass that set up Vinni Lettieri’s goal and gave Toronto a 2-0 lead. Up to that point, Cowan was having an outstanding game. The reason for that detour is simple: credit should be given where it’s due before discussing the play that decided the game.

It was a rookie mistake by Cowan that led directly to the Penguins’ winning goal. His cross-ice pass inside his own blue line was intercepted by Rutger McGroarty, who broke in alone on Akhtyamov and scored the eventual game-winner.

To Cowan’s credit, he didn’t shy away from responsibility afterward and willingly faced the media. That says something about his character. Throughout his junior career, Cowan earned a reputation for delivering in big moments and elevating his game when it mattered most. He showed that again with his dramatic goal against Cleveland.

It will be interesting to see how he responds after this setback.

Road Teams Continue To Rule The Eastern Conference Final

The series is now effectively a best-of-three, with Game 5 set for Toronto before the teams return to Wilkes-Barre for Games 6 and 7 if necessary.

One unusual trend continues: all four games in the series have been won by the road team. If that trend holds, the Marlies will be in good shape. If not, Friday night’s game could become the pivotal contest of the series.

Setting The Record Straight On Michael Pezzetta’s Overtime Winner

Before wrapping up, we want to correct something we wrote in a previous post regarding Michael Pezzetta’s overtime winner in Game 3. We stated that the officials reviewed the play and ruled there was no goaltender interference. After looking into the AHL’s replay rules, that was incorrect.

Unlike the NHL, the AHL’s video review rule states that replay may be used at the referee’s discretion to “determine whether the puck legally crossed the goal line.” That’s somewhat vague wording. The use of the word “legally” suggests officials may be able to review factors such as whether the puck was gloved into the net or struck with a high stick before crossing the line, but I’m not entirely certain.

What is clear is that goaltender interference is not reviewable under AHL replay rules. Therefore, whatever the officials were reviewing on Pezzetta’s goal, it was not goaltender interference.

Can The Marlies Bounce Back In Game 5?

Game 5 goes tonight in Toronto. The Marlies have shown resilience throughout these playoffs, repeatedly responding to adversity and finding ways to win difficult games. They’ll need to do it again if they hope to regain control of this series.

[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs’ fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]