Big Third Period Lifts Penguins to 5-3, Game 3 Win
Published on June 1, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release
TORONTO, Ont. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins picked up their first win of the Eastern Conference Final, dispatching of the Toronto Marlies, 5-3, in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Monday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton trails in the series, 2-1, but rode a strong third period to down Toronto on its home ice. The Penguins' line of Aidan McDonough, Bill Zonnon and Atley Calvert produced goals for all three players and a trio of multi-point performances, while Sergei Murashov shut the door with 36 saves.
The first period featured a lightning-quick, end-to-end pace, but both netminders were locked in from the start. It took until 12:15 of the opening frame for Toronto's Vinni Lettieri to break through with a shot through traffic that ricocheted behind Murashov.
The Penguins responded in under three minutes, as McDonough picked up his team's first power-play goal of the series. After Gabe Klasen had his shot blocked by a defender, Klassen fought to scrape the puck free, then struck it to the far post where McDonough wedged it across the goal line.
Zonnon put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the lead, 2-1, two minutes into the second period. Marlies goalie Artur Akhtyamov had a knuckleball roll under his arm and drift right to the goal line, and Zonnon pounced for his fourth goal of the postseason.
Toronto pulled even when Luke Haymes rifled a puck from below the goal line off of a Penguins' skate and into the net with 2:24 left before the second intermission.
With the two clubs skating at four-on-four in the third, Tristan Broz and Ville Koivunen dazzled with a back-and-forth passing display that resulted in Koivunen's fourth goal of the playoffs at 7:48.
Zonnon and McDonough combined to win a puck battle, then McDonough shuttled a perfect pass to Calvert for a slam dunk on the backdoor at the midpoint of the third period.
The Marlies scored an extra-attacker goal to briefly pull within one in the last minute of regulation, but an empty netter by Tanner Howe followed shortly thereafter.
Akhtyamov posted 29 saves in the loss for Toronto.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Toronto will go at it again in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday, June 3. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Individual playoff game tickets can be purchased by calling the Penguins' front office at (570) 208-7367 or at wbspenguins.com. Penguins Playoff Packages are also available only by reaching out to the Penguins directly.
Playoff packages, which are billed on a pay-as-we-play basis, include tickets to every confirmed home game during the postseason. Each package also comes with an $8 voucher for every home game, which can be redeemed at Savor concession stands or at the Penguins Igloo Team Store located inside Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza on each designated game date.
Every minute of Penguins playoff hockey can be watched online with the league's streaming service, AHLTV on FloHockey. AHLTV on FloHockey provides its subscribers access to not just every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams, but also more than 21,000 hockey contests from other professional and junior leagues on FloHockey, as well as access to all other live event streams and replays across FloSports.
American Hockey League Stories from June 1, 2026
- Big Third Period Lifts Penguins to 5-3, Game 3 Win - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
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