TORONTO, Ont. (theahl.com) … The Chicago Wolves stayed alive Thursday night, staging a third-period comeback before taking a 4-3 overtime victory against the Toronto Marlies in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals.
Viktor Neuchev scooped up a loose puck and beat Artur Akhtyamov 3:18 into overtime as the Wolves avoided elimination for the fourth time this postseason.
Down 3-1 going into the third period, the Wolves responded twice in a 65-second span to tie the game. Domenick Fensore got the comeback started at the 4:23 mark before Justin Robidas tied the game on a wraparound at 5:28.
The Marlies still hold a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night at Coca-Coliseum (7 ET,, Sportsnet 360, NHL Network, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio). If necessary, Game 6 would be Sunday at Chicago.
Cayden Primeau (9-8) stopped 33 shots for the Wolves, including 19 in the first period when the Marlies peppered the Chicago net with 21 shots.
Akhtyamov (14-7) had 22 saves for the Marlies.
Chicago struck just 28 seconds into the game on Bradly Nadeau’s seventh goal of the postseason. But Jacob Quillan responded for the Marlies at 4:36 before Luke Haymes poked in his own rebound past Primeau at 9:58.
Toronto upped the lead to 3-1 late in the second period when Ryan Tverberg took a Dakota Mermis stretch pass and beat Primeau at 18:05.
A standing-room-only crowd of 8,401 saw Toronto’s five-game winning streak end.
(Toronto leads series, 3-1)
Game 1 – Fri., June 12 – Toronto 4, CHICAGO 2
Game 2 – Sun., June 14 – Toronto 5, CHICAGO 4 (OT)
Game 3 – Tue., June 16 – TORONTO 1, Chicago 0
Game 4 – Thu., June 18 – Chicago 4, TORONTO 3 (OT)
Game 5 – Fri., June 19 – Chicago at Toronto, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sun., June 21 – Toronto at Chicago, 4:00
*Game 7 – Tue., June 23 – Toronto at Chicago, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
