2024 Calder Cup First-Round Playoff Preview: Toronto Marlies vs. Belleville Senators

Alex Steeves, Toronto MarliesA late-season slump (2-1-4) ensured the Toronto Marlies would not only face the lottery of the best-of-three first-round series but also forgo home-ice advantage.

Let’s be real. The extended playoff format and a best-of-three series is a lottery, and winning the first game is almost everything. Of the 14 series played since the American Hockey League opted to introduce this format, 13 teams who won the first game progressed to the second round. One bad call or odd bounce could bump you out of the post-season before you know it.

Head-to-Head

These teams met 10 times during the regular season but only twice in the last two months. The season series was split equally,…