There were no two hotter teams in the AHL heading into the Calder Cup Playoffs than the Toronto Marlies and the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Since the All-Star break, the two teams launched up the standings, with the Marlies finishing seventh (previously seeded 12th) and the Griffins finishing second (previously seeded eighth during the break).
The Marlies, the hotter team, rode a seven game win-streak into the series while the Griffins finished the season with seven wins of their own in their final 10 games (7-3).
The Griffins dominated the season series, winning three of four games, including a 7-2 drubbing as recently as Apr.