The banner-raising ceremony did little to inspire the home team as sloppy play and a lack of competitive intensity from the Marlies early allowed Cleveland to build a commanding four-goal advantage that proved insurmountable despite a valiant comeback attempt from the Marlies.
First Period
Kasimir Kaskisuo was called into early action to deny Zac Dalpe but the Finnish netminder could do little to prevent Cleveland from opening the scoring with 3:22 on the clock. Ryan MacInnis sent a speculative pass toward the blue paint, where Andrew Nielsen ended up deflecting the puck into his own net.