Toronto Marlies finished first in the North Division and won three winner-take-all games in a single Calder Cup postseason, a rare feat in AHL history. Their reward is a matchup with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In the regular season, the Penguins’ affiliate earned 100+ points and led the Eastern Conference in offense with 243 goals, scoring four-plus goals in 33 games. Two games between the teams featured comebacks and a combined total of 14 goals. Toronto won 4-3 in overtime after trailing 3-0, while a March game ended 4-3 in regulation after Toronto led 4-0. The teams have not met in postseason before, and both reached this stage after long gaps. The series begins in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton using a 2-3-2 format and shifts to best-of-seven.
"Against all expectations, the Toronto Marlies have bested the rest in the North Division. They did it the hard way, becoming the third team in AHL history to win three winner-take-all games in a single Calder Cup postseason. Now playing with house money, the Marlies ' reward is a matchup with the vaunted Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins."
"Pittsburgh's affiliate was one of only three teams to accrue 100+ points and would have won the Atlantic Division if not for the juggernaut Providence Bruins. The Penguins were the top offensive team in the Eastern Conference (243), scoring four-plus goals in 33 games. The two regular-season games between the teams were notable for two reasons: The teams combined for 14 goals and featured two comebacks."
"Back in November, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton led 3-0 through 40 minutes on home ice, only for Toronto to produce an unlikely comeback and prevail 4-3 in OT. In the corresponding game hosted by the Marlies in March, Toronto spotted Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 4-0 lead, and another comeback effort fell short as Toronto lost 4-3 in regulation."
"From here on in, the playoffs return to a best-of-seven. This series will start in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a 2-3-2 format. As much as home-ice advantage is a thing, neither of these teams fears the road. In the last five years, the regular-season meeting between the teams has seen the road team fare bette"
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