There is no doubt that the Hershey Bears are a great team, dominating the league for long enough to say that they’re one of the best teams in the AHL. So it’s no surprise that they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, nor is it surprising that they’ve already won the first two games in the series.
The Toronto Marlies historically haven’t been as great, having never won the Calder Cup (while Hershey has eleven times!) and only in recent years have they had any real consistency. That’s not to say they aren’t a threat – the Marlies managed to lead the league this season, and they haven’t slowed down all that much against the Bears in the playoffs.