ROSEMONT, Ill.—The Wolves rallied but in the end fell to the Toronto Marlies 5-4 in overtime in Game 2 of the 2026 Calder Cup Finals on Sunday at Allstate Arena.
Juuso Valimaki scored twice, Noah Philp had a goal and an assist and Charles Alexis Legault also tallied in the Wolves’ defeat. Logan Shaw scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, to help the Marlies take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with Game 3 scheduled for Tuesday night at Toronto. Ryan Suzuki and Justin Robidas each chipped in two assists for the Wolves.
“We have to find a way to win and play with the kind of urgency we had in the third period right from the start,” Valimaki said. “We need to be a little bit desperate in a good way. We trust each other and we know what we’re capable of.”
The Wolves wasted little time in seizing the lead as Legault found the back of the net 1 minute, 53 seconds into the opening period. The defenseman received a pass from Josiah Slavin and ripped a wrist shot from the point that ricocheted off the right post and past Marlies netminder Artur Akhyamov. Slavin and Noel Gunler assisted on Legault’s first goal of the postseason.
After Benoit-Olivier Groulx’s tally midway through the first pulled the Marlies into a 1-1 tie, the Wolves answered late in the period on Philp’s power-play marker.
Robidas sent the puck into the slot and Philp bounced on it to bang it by Akhyamov to the stick side. On Philp’s sixth goal of the postseason, Robidas and Bradly Nadeau picked up assists.
The second period belonged to the Marlies as they surged ahead 3-2 on a penalty shot goal by Alex Nylander and an even-strength tally by Shaw.
Valimaki evened things up midway through the third when the defenseman crashed the net and a rebound of a Suzuki shot landed on Valimaki’s stick and the veteran knocked it in. Suzuki and Robidas recorded helpers.
Groulx’s second of the game made it 4-3 early in the third but the Wolves didn’t quit.
With time winding down and goaltender Cayden Primeau off for an extra attacker, Philp’s shot from the point caromed off the end boards right to Valimaki and he fired it in from a sharp angle for his fifth goal of the postseason. The score with :17 remaining was assisted by Philp and Suzuki.
Shaw won it for Toronto with his second of the game, this one coming 3:46 into overtime.
Primeau (27 saves) suffered the loss in goal for the Wolves while Akhtyamov (28 saves) earned the win for the Marlies.
Next up: The Wolves travel to Toronto to face the Marlies in Game 3 of the 2026 Calder Cup Finals on Tuesday night (6 p.m.).
For information on Wolves tickets for the 2026 Calder Cup Finals, visit chicagowolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
