Pezzetta scores late GWG as Marlies beat Penguins in Game 1

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The Toronto Marlies are perfecting the art of leaving things until the last minute.

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Or, in the case of Game 1 of the AHL’s Eastern Conference final against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night, until the last minutes.

Michael Pezzetta scored his second goal of the Calder Cup playoffs with 1:36 remaining in the third period, and it served as the game-winning goal as the Marlies recorded a 4-2 victory in the best-of-seven opener.

Marlies captain Logan Shaw added an empty-net goal with 48 seconds left to put a cap on the win.

“It’s huge,” Marlies coach John Gruden said to media in Wilkes-Barre, in reference to starting with a win. “We still know how dangerous they are on their transition game. We got a little cute on a few shifts there but (it’s a) bend, don’t break mentality. When it matters the most, our group just finds a way to show up.”

The victory came three nights after Easton Cowan scored with 12 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Marlies a 3-2 win in a deciding Game 5 of the North Division final against the Cleveland Monsters.

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Akhtyamov stands tall

Marlies goalie Artur Akhtyamov again was a difference-maker as he stopped 34 Penguins shots. His counterpart in the home net, Sergei Murashov, allowed three goals on 15 Toronto shots.

After the Penguins’ Alex Alexeyev scored late in the first for a 1-0 lead, Cowan scored the Marlies’ first goal at 1:38 of the second when he ripped a shot from the slot past Murashov.

Defenceman William Villeneuve gave the Marlies their first lead on a power-play at 16:56 of the second. At 6:01 of the third, Rutger McGroarty tied the game 2-2.

Marlies defenceman Henry Thrun had two assists.

Game 2 will be on Friday night at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza before the series shifts to the Coca-Cola Coliseum for Games 3 and 4 next Monday and Wednesday respectively. If Game 5 is necessary, it will be in Toronto next Friday.

The Western Conference final between the Colorado Eagles and the Chicago Wolves, affiliates of the Avalanche and Hurricanes respectively, starts on Thursday in Loveland, Colo.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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