The Toronto Marlies are entering a best-of-three playoff series against their long-standing adversaries, the Cleveland Monsters, after a rough stretch in the regular season that resulted in a fourth-place finish. Despite a recent win against Cleveland, Toronto has struggled historically to score against them, which is worrying as Cleveland has a poor defensive record. Winning the first game is critical as only two teams in AHL playoff history have advanced after losing that opening match. Additionally, although the Marlies have home advantage, previous patterns may undermine this advantage due to Cleveland's road performance.
Toronto's ability to overcome recent struggles and start strong in the playoff series against Cleveland will determine their fate in the best-of-three matchup.
Historically, playoff success favors teams that win the opening game, adding pressure on the Marlies to secure an early victory against their nemesis.
Cleveland's home advantage may not matter much, given their superior performance on the road and the Marlies' struggles against them this season.
The Marlies need to address their scoring issues against Cleveland, where they have struggled to consistently find the back of the net in prior matchups.
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