The Chicago Wolves made the first step in their comeback bid on Thursday night, preventing the sweep with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Final. Just 24 hours later, they looked to do it again against the Toronto Marlies. Viktor Neuchev was the hero in overtime, burying a shot at the top of the crease to keep the Wolves' hopes alive for one more day.
Felix Unger Sorum, who returned from injury in Game 3, was feeling it in the first period. He broke the ice before the midway point on a shot from distance that didn't feel very dangerous. Somehow, it snuck past Artur Akhtyamov, putting Chicago ahead. Then, he exhibited stellar patience and held onto a puck, waiting for a seam to open before finding Josiah Slavin for a one-timer and a 2-0 lead.
It looked like Chicago was going to carry its 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Instead, Toronto got on the board in the final minute, cutting their first-period deficit in half. With 28 seconds left, Landon Sim redirected a Matt Benning shot from the point, giving the Marlies a little life before the break. This goal proved to be very important for Toronto.
The Marlies might've been outshot 12-6 in the second period, but they scored on half of those shots. Bo Groulx wasted little time converting on the power play, needing eight seconds on the man advantage to tie it up. Jaccob Quillan gave Toronto the lead late in the period, and Vinni Lettieri added another power-play goal 1:23 later, pushing Toronto's advantage to two.
Now, it was time for Chicago to get a late goal to shift momentum. With under six seconds left, Unger Sorum potted his second of the night on the power play after the puck snuck out to him, following a mad scramble in the crease. While the Wolves hoped it would do the same for them as it did Toronto, that wouldn't be the case.
For the final 20 minutes, the Marlies held onto their lead for dear life. Chicago had its chances, but the tying goal never materialized. When the final horn sounded, the Marlies flooded onto the ice and celebrated their second Calder Cup in franchise history. Akhtyamov, who finished the night with 27 stops, was named the postseason's most valuable player.
While Akhtyamov took home the individual hardware, this series was full of incredible Toronto performances. Lettieri had a point in all five games, finishing with three goals and nine points. William Villenueve recorded seven of his league-high 21 assists in the Calder Cup Final. Easton Cowan came on strong at the end, assisting on all three of Toronto's goals in the second period.
For Chicago, it was all Felix Unger Sorum tonight. Along with his three-point performance, he finished with a game-high five shots. I'm curious how the rest of this series looks if he's available from the start. Noah Philp added two assists as well, while Ryan Suzuki's helper on Unger Sorum's second goal helped him finish atop the team with 18 points this postseason, one better than Bradly Nadeau.
To put a bow on it, the Chicago Wolves fought valiantly. Game 1 was the only multi-goal win for either team, with Games 2 through 5 all being one-goal games. A bounce here or there, and the Wolves might still be playing. Nevertheless, the Marlies were the better team for the entirety of the series. It wraps up a very good season for the Wolves and the Hurricanes' organization as a whole.
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