The Calder Cup Eastern Conference Final is loaded with prospects. The Toronto Marlies and the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins have skilled players throughout their lineups, with some young names who are sure to make an impact in the NHL next season. Yet, who is the player who is scoring the game-winning goals? It’s Michael Pezzetta. 

Pezzetta found the back of the net with a quick shot in Game 1 in the third period, where the Marlies took a turnover and turned it into a scoring chance. Then, Pezzetta scored the overtime winner in Game 2 with one of the oddest goals anyone will ever see as he flipped the puck to the net from far range like a fly ball in baseball or a punt in football. The high-arching shot was misplayed by Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov and landed in the net, giving the Marlies a 2-1 win and a 2-0 series lead (albeit, after a long review). 

In the playoffs, they don’t ask how. Likewise, it doesn’t matter who is scoring or leading the team to victories. Yet, Pezzetta’s journey to this point embodies the fight needed for a playoff run and how the Marlies keep winning despite many American Hockey League fans counting them out months ago. 

A fun part of the AHL is the naming names aspect of the league. A player will take the ice, and a hockey fan will go “Wait, I remember when he was drafted a decade ago!” or “Wow, I forgot he was still playing hockey,” with veterans still playing at a high level late in their careers on AHL teams. This isn’t just an on-ice thing either. Coaches, general managers, scouts, and league members are throwbacks to different eras. 

Some people hear Pezzetta’s name on the Marlies, and they remember the power forward on the Sudbury Wolves who was good enough to get drafted in the sixth round. Most remember him as a depth skater for the Montreal Canadiens who was often caught in between the NHL team and their affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Pezzetta joined the Toronto Maple Leafs this season to play a veteran role on the Marlies team. 

Yet, Pezzetta is the type of player Calder Cup-winning teams need, a leader who plays a depth role. “He's a big part of why we are where we’re at right now. And again, probably wouldn't have bet that he would have the two game winners, but I'm glad he did, and good for him,” head coach John Gruden noted after the 2-1 Game 2 win. 

He also shows the younger players on the Marlies how to play the right way and kick it up a notch for the playoffs, especially the Eastern Conference Final. “Obviously, it’s the conference finals now, if you can't get excited for that, I think there's a problem,” Pezzetta stated after the 4-2 Game 1 win. 

The part of his game that everyone notices is his checking. Pezzetta plays a physical game and defends well, allowing the Marlies to chip and chase against the Penguins and giving their opponent fits. “He plays a really physical game. He's getting in on the defense a lot, and it's creating some time and space for me,” Marc Johnstone noted after Game 2. 

It’s his defense that sets up the offense, especially when they get the puck in deep. It’s what the Pezzetta, Johnstone, and Reese Johnson line did in Game 1 to score the game-winner late in the third period. 

It’s made their line arguably the best in this series. It’s also allowed them to find scoring chances and make the most of them. The Penguins have a great defense and better goaltending, yet Pezzetta is finding the scoring touch and the blueprint for beating Murashov.

“Anytime you're facing someone like that, you're just trying to get shots off quickly and get screens in front. It's hard to beat goalies like that clean,” Pezzetta mentioned after his Game 1 goal. While that goal didn’t come with a screen, the Game 2 overtime goal did, as Johnstone was in the netfront and forced Murashov to make an uncomfortable move that resulted in the game-winner.

Every playoff game is a battle, and every series is a war, something the Marlies know all too well by now. The Calder Cup Playoffs are a marathon, yet every game, especially at this point, is a sprint. “It’s a long game. Teams are going to have their pushes, especially a team that has as many dangerous players as they do,” Gruden noted after Game 2, which was a long game but in many ways, the story of the playoffs. 

Gruden acknowledged after Game 2 that the series is far from over and the Marlies must play with the long game in mind. “I think we've got to bottle up a lot of what we did there and use that to realize, hey, at the end of the day, it's still going to be a grind. We don't expect anything other than what we know how good this team is.” 

The Marlies stole two games on the road to take a 2-0 series lead. However, the series is far from over. “I think we did a lot of good things that we could show on how we had success tonight, which is going to be important because there's no bigger game than Game 3. They always say whoever wins Game 3 a lot of times wins the series. So, we know that, and we're going to be ready for it, and we'll be excited about it,” Gruden added after Game 2.

Having a player like Pezzetta around helps this marathon and sprint to the finish line. He knows when to play at another level, and when to step up and make a big play, which both he and the Marlies have done throughout this remarkable run.