The Toronto Marlies delivered a commanding 6-2 victory over the Laval Rocket on Tuesday, evening their North Division Semifinal series at 1-1 in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. It was a night where special teams stole the spotlight, and the Marlies' power play unit proved to be the difference-maker.
The game started with Laval setting the pace, outshooting Toronto 11-5 in the opening 12 minutes. The Rocket capitalized on their early pressure with a goal from forward Laurent Dauphin, followed by a power-play strike from Joshua Roy. But the Marlies refused to back down. Forward Logan Shaw ignited Toronto's comeback with a power-play tally at the 14-minute mark, narrowing the deficit to 2-1 heading into the first intermission.
The second period belonged entirely to the Marlies. Early on, a four-minute power-play opportunity gave forward Vinni Lettieri the chance to knot the game at 2-2. As the period wore on, Toronto's relentless attack earned them a seventh power-play chance, and forward Luke Haymes seized the moment, burying the go-ahead goal to make it 3-2. Laval managed just one brief 51-second power play in the frame but failed to register a single shot—a telling sign of the Marlies' defensive discipline.
The third period was all about style and substance. Just a minute in, forward Easton Cowan delivered a highlight-reel moment, scoring a between-the-legs dagger that extended Toronto's lead to 4-2 and effectively put the game out of reach. The Marlies tacked on an empty-netter and another power-play goal from defenseman Noah Chadwick, outshooting Laval 11-9 in the final frame to seal the 6-2 win.
Between the pipes, Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov was a wall, stopping 29 of 31 shots for an impressive .935 save percentage. On the other end, Laval's Kaapo Kahkonen struggled, making 26 saves on 31 shots for a .839 save percentage.
With the series now tied 1-1, the Marlies have all the momentum heading into Game 3. If their power play continues to click at this rate, they'll be a tough out for any opponent in the Calder Cup Playoffs.