TORONTO — Boosted with the confidence that comes from a late surge on enemy ice, an elimination dodge, and a four-goal explosion on a goaltender that had just shut his team out, Chicago Wolves coach Spiros Anastas tried planting a seed of doubt.
Maybe, just maybe, the Toronto Marlies’ scrappy playoff MVP, goalie Artur Akhtyamov, was beatable after all.
“I think we may have cracked him a little bit today,” Anastas said, following his club’s thrilling 4-3 comeback win in Game 4 at Coca-Cola Coliseum. “I think it was just our urgency around the net.”
Yes, Akhtyamov submitted his worst single-game save percentage (.846) of his glittery 14-7 postseason Thursday.
And no, the Calder Cup was not awarded — yet — to a Marlies group that seemed poised for a sweep, leading 3-1 with just 20 minutes to go.
But Toronto coach John Gruden swatted away Anastas’s suggestion that the Wolves had now uncovered the code to the undersized Russian netminder.
“Arty doesn’t understand English anyway. It doesn't matter. He has no idea what he's saying,” Gruden quipped, as the champagne remained uncorked.
“He's been outstanding for us. We're not here to point fingers. We will be better tomorrow for him, in front of him, making sure we clear out and they don't get those second chances like they did. But he's been outstanding.”
Less than 24 hours after Chicago’s Viktor Neuchev froze the clock in the 64th minute and sent a packed house home with nothing more than a tease, expect both the Wolves’ Cayden Primeau and Akhtyamov back in the pipes.
Back-to-back. No sense managing the load now.
“Since they got him figured out, I’m gonna play Arty tomorrow. We're gonna play Arty. No secrets here,” Gruden doubled down. “Arty’s been the best goalie in these playoffs, and I expect him to be great again tomorrow night.”
Nothing like a little gamesmanship and a stunning comeback to inject some juice into a series that appeared well on its way to a Marlies sweep. Heck, the home side figured out its power-play in the first, killed off a critical and lengthy 5-on-3 in the second, and held a 21-5 advantage in shots before Anastas’s bunch tilted the ice.
The Wolves are now 4-0 in elimination games; their identity is to claw till the finish and treat every life like their last.
“We fight back,” Anastas said. “So, Game 7 tomorrow.”
Technically, Friday will be Game 5.
And puck drop can’t come soon enough for defenceman William Villeneuve, who gave away the puck that ended Game 4.
“I just can’t make that play in overtime,” Villeneuve owned, unprompted. “It’s unacceptable.”
Captain Logan Shaw did not want Villeneuve to dwell on the gaffe.
“It comes to the belief and the faith that we have in each other, and every night we say we're playing for each other. That's what we're playing for,” Shaw said. “Obviously, everyone wants to win, everyone wants to get a contract, everyone wants to move up and play in the NHL, but right now we're here for each other.”
Hopefully, for just one more night.
“We can fix it real quick and be really good tomorrow night, because it’s going to be a great game,” Gruden said. “I mean, our guys should want to play in these situations, in these clutch moments.”
Shaw admitted the Marlies' room was quiet.
To blow a two-goal lead late…
To not deliver a title in a next-goal-wins scenario that featured brilliant looks from Bo Groulx, Easton Cowan, and Alex Nylander…
To commit the final error and miss the last save…
“It’s a little heartbreaking,” Shaw said, before quickly turning the page.
“Look, we’re the only two teams in the world that are still playing. You look at all the European leagues, NHL, the East Coast, everyone's done. So, I mean, there's a lot of eyes on these games for sure, but we're playing for the love of the game right now.
“We're playing for each other, and it's a pretty special atmosphere to play in right now.”
It won’t be quite as special in Chicago, which hosts games 6 and 7 if necessary.
Might as well take care of business now.
