WBS Penguins vs Toronto Marlies 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs: Eastern Conference Finals Game 1

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins drop Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Scoring opened up at 16:49 in the first period when Alex Alexeyev took a shot from the point, scoring his first of the playoffs. The Penguins outshot the Marlies 13-5 in the opening frame.

Toronto would tie the game up at 1:39 in the second with Easton Cowan scoring his fifth of the postseason. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would go on the penalty kill at 13:31 as Harrison Brunicke would take a holding call. Gabe Klassen put the Pens back on the penalty kill, enabling Toronto to go up by one at 16:56 with William Villeneuve scoring his second of the playoffs on the power play. Shots on Goal after 40 minutes of play were Penguins 25 to the Marlies 10.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would go on the power play at 1:50 to start the third period, when a tripping call would be assessed to Ben Danford. Rutger McGroarty would tie the game at two apiece at 6:01 with his third of the postseason. Toronto goes up by one with 1:36 to go in the period as Michael Pezzetta scores his second of the playoffs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would pull Sergei Murashov for the extra attacker, allowing the Marlies to go up by two with an empty-netter goal scored by Logan Shaw. The final shot count of the game would be Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 36 to Toronto’s 16.

Toronto goaltender Artur Akhtyamov stopped 34 of 36 shots in the victory, while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton netminder Sergei Murashov made 12 saves on 15 shots in 58:56 of action. The Marlies added an empty-net goal late in regulation, giving the Penguins four goals against as a team.

Game two of the Eastern Conference Final will be played Friday, May 29th at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza with a 7:05 p.m. puck drop.

Lexis Woodard / Olde City Sports Network
Photos Credit / Melissa Molyneux / Olde City Sports Network