The Toronto Marlies ended their long-standing struggle against Cleveland with a much-needed victory, largely due to their effective power play and stellar goaltending from Dennis Hildeby. The first period was marked by a solid performance from both teams, with Marlies' Nick Abruzzese scoring after a strong drive to the net. This win was essential as Belleville's recent successes had heightened the pressure on the Marlies to secure points for their playoff aspirations, illustrating the significance of this match in their season.
"Our power play was outstanding, our PK was outstanding, and Dennis [Hildeby] made some really big saves in a timely fashion. I'm proud of them. We've got to drive back (to Toronto) and do the exact same thing." - John Gruden
The Marlies got off to a strong start to the game, finally avoiding the early goal against that has been their Achilles heel all season. There weren't many Grade-A chances in the first 10 minutes, with only an individual effort from the right circle from Alex Steeves worth noting.
Toronto drew a penalty seconds later and made the extra skater count... He swept the puck past the netminder in a remarkable piece of hand-eye coordination.
With Belleville accruing five points in the last three games, this was a must-win for Toronto to keep their playoff hopes intact.
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