Toronto got some more late-game heroics on Wednesday, giving them a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals heading into tonight’s Game 2 in Wilkes-Barre (7:05 ET, 
).
Michael Pezzetta (2-1-3) scored the go-ahead goal with 1:36 remaining in regulation to lift the Marlies to a 4-2 win in Game 1. Toronto has scored 12 third-period goals in its last seven games, including the series-clinching goal with 11.3 seconds left in Game 5 against Cleveland back on Sunday.
Marc Johnstone (0-3-3), who missed the previous four contests for Toronto, assisted on Pezzetta’s game-winner. Johnstone played two seasons with the Penguins (2023-25) before returning to the Marlies this season.
Easton Cowan (5-4-9) and William Villeneuve (2-10-12) scored in the second period to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 Toronto lead. Henry Thrun (2-6-8) added an empty-net goal plus an assist, and Artur Akhtyamov (8-4, 2.17, .924) made 34 saves, allowing two goals or fewer for the ninth time in his 12 playoff starts.
The Marlies surrendered the game’s first goal for the 10th time in 14 playoff contests but earned their fifth come-from-behind victory of the postseason.
“(There’s) a lot of hockey to be played, but definitely a great win for our group,” Marlies head coach John Gruden said after Game 1.
The Penguins, 21-10-4-1 at Mohegan Arena in the regular season, dropped to 3-3 on home ice in the playoffs. Alex Alexeyev (1-4-5) and Rutger McGroarty (3-3-6) scored in Game 1 and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton owned a 36-16 advantage in shots on goal. It was the sixth time in their last eight games that the Marlies were held under 20 shots.
“I don’t think the shot clock was indicative of our game,” said Penguins head coach Kirk MacDonald. “They out-executed us. We didn’t do enough making it hard on their goalie, we didn’t make it hard enough on their D.”
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton needs a win tonight to avoid going down 0-2 before heading up to Toronto. Only eight teams in AHL history have won a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games on home ice.
“It’s a seven-game series,” MacDonald said. “They’ve played the max (number of) games, they know they’re in a fight every time and they play like it. We’ll be ready as well.”
