The Toronto Marlies' hopes of a quick playoff exit were dashed Friday night as the Rochester Americans blanked them 4-0 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. The best-of-three series is now tied 1-1, forcing a decisive Game 3 on Sunday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Game Recap
Devon Levi was the star for Rochester, stopping all 29 shots he faced for the shutout. Artur Akhtyamov made 18 saves for Toronto but couldn't keep the Americans off the scoreboard. Konsta Helenius, Carson Meyer, Vsevolod Komarov, and Ryan Johnson (empty net) scored for the Amerks.
The Marlies made no lineup changes from their 5-0 Game 1 victory, again dressing players who finished the season with the parent Toronto Maple Leafs, including Bo Groulx, Easton Cowan, and Jacob Quillan. Cowan led Toronto with four shots on goal, while Alex Nylander added three. The Marlies went 0-for-3 on the power play.
Series Implications
The winner of Sunday's game will advance to face the North Division's first-place team, the Laval Rocket, the Montreal Canadiens' affiliate. The Marlies had hoped to avoid a play-in series by finishing higher in the regular season, but now face a sudden-death scenario.
Game 3 is set for 4 p.m. Sunday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
