alex nylander scored with 6:16 left in overtime Sunday night, and the Toronto Marlies punched their ticket to the Calder Cup Finals with a Game 6 win. The goal also delivered the Eastern Conference championship and the Richard F. Canning Trophy.
Nylander Breaks Game 6 Open
Nylander finished the series with the decisive strike after Toronto had already spent 60 minutes trading chances and pressure. The Marlies were one win from the 2026 Calder Cup Finals when the night began, and they took it in overtime.
That winner came after Easton Cowan opened the scoring for Toronto. His goal was his seventh of the postseason and pushed his playoff total to 13 points in 17 games.
Cowan and Akhtyamov Keep Toronto Alive
Akhtyamov handled the rest. The Toronto goaltender stopped 39 shots to hold the line long enough for Nylander to end it.
The series had already tilted Toronto’s way after a Game 5 win over Wilkes-Barre, but Game 6 still carried the weight of a close finish. Toronto had seen the Colorado Eagles carry a 3-2 lead into Sunday night in the other series, and the Marlies still had to finish their own job before looking ahead.
Richard F. Canning Trophy
Logan Shaw was presented with the Richard F. Canning Trophy after the game, a postgame reward that went with the conference title Toronto earned on the ice. The Marlies now wait for the winner of the Chicago Wolves and Colorado Eagles series.
For Toronto, the result was simple: one overtime goal ended the East and kept the season moving. Nylander’s finish turned a tense Game 6 into a place in the final round.
