Chicago Wolves win in overtime, stay alive in Calder Cup Finals
The Chicago Wolves kept their 2025-26 American Hockey season alive by rallying to stun the Toronto Marlies 4-3 in overtime in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals on Thursday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Viktor Neuchev notched the winner in overtime while Bradly Nadeau, Domenick Fensore and Justin Robidas scored in regulation as the Wolves extended the best-of-seven series to a 3-1 Marlies advantage with Game 5 scheduled for Friday night in Toronto.
The Wolves came out of the gate quickly and found the scoreboard on their first shot on goal when Nadeau struck 28 seconds into the opening period. Juuso Valimaki hit an open Nadeau with a pass at the bottom of the left circle and the 21-year-old forward fired a one-timer past Marlies netminder Artur Akhtyamov to the stick side. Valimaki had the lone assist on Nadeau’s seventh goal of the postseason.
The Marlies answered back at the 4:36 mark of the first on a power-play marker by Jacob Quillan and took a 2-1 lead midway through the period on a goal by Luke Haymes.
Ryan Tverberg’s tally late in the second made it 3-1 Marlies headed into the third.
The Wolves didn’t quit and evened things at 3-3 on scores by Fensore and Robidas just 1:05 apart early in the period.
First, Fensore took a feed from Ivan Ryabkin and wired a wrist shot from the left dot that sailed over Akhtyamov’s left shoulder and into the net. On Fensore’s fourth goal of the postseason, Ryabkin and Neuchev recorded assists.
Robidas’ seventh goal of the postseason made it 3-3. The forward won a faceoff in the Marlies zone and eventually scooped up a loose puck, wheeled around the net and deposited a wraparound effort by Akhtyamov for the equalizer. Cal Foote and Ryan Suzuki assisted.
That set up Neuchev’s winner in overtime. The forward pounced on a loose puck in front, wheeled and deposited it into the net for his second tally of the postseason. Nikita Pavlychev picked up the assist.
Cayden Primeau (33 saves) earned the win in goal for the Wolves while Akhtyamov (22 saves) suffered the loss for the Marlies.