From a Marlies Press Release:

It was just one of those days for the Marlies and only fitting that the game would be as wild as the events that the led up to the game.

Toronto rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to score five unanswered goals and hang on for a 5-4 win over the Wolves in Chicago at Allstate Arena.

John Pohl (21) and Brad Leeb (16) each had a pair of goals while Colin Murphy (4) added a single in his return to the line-up.

Billy Tibbets (10), Stephen Baby (5), Derek McKenzie (1) and Braydon Coburn (5) scored for the Wolves.

Toronto's day began at 6am when they departed their hotel in San Antonio, Texas for a morning flight to Chicago. The plane was delayed for 30 minutes on the runway waiting to take-off, due to a confusion in the cargo weight on the flight. After arriving in Chicago at 11am, the team reported to their hotel for a meal and pre-game nap. Meanwhile, the equipment bags of Bates Battaglia and Brendan Bell were accidentally put on a connector flight. Both bags ended up in Indianapolis, due to the wrong tags being applied to the bags. Luckily for Battaglia, his family is in the area and his brother showed up to the rink with an extra pair of skates and equipment. Bell was left to compile a mixture of gear from scratched players. Just prior to warm-up, Battaglia's gear made it to the rink, but was still wet from the San Antonio game. It took a quick drying session, and Bates was able to go with his own gear by game time. Bell stuck with the mixture. His bag was scheduled to arrive first thing Sunday morning in Chicago, in time for the Marlies trip to Milwaukee. All the travel excitement set-up a wild game.

The Wolves got on the board first 53 seconds in the game when Paul Dwyer shot a puck from the corner that went off the skate of Tibbets and past J.S. Aubin to make it 1-0. Eleven minutes later, Baby used Dominic D'Amour as a screen and let a quick wrist shot go, that went off Aubin's glove and in to make it 2-0. The Marlies were outshooting the Wolves 12-3 at that point. Paul Maurice made a goaltending change as J.F. Racine came in to the game. Pohl would get the Marlies on the board, putting the puck through the legs of Michael Garnett to make it 2-1. Toronto out shot Chicago 17-6 in the period.

The Marlies tied the game in the second, when Leeb scored his first of the game when he slapped at a loose puck in the face-off circle that made its way through a screen. Pohl added his second of the game five minutes later on the power play when the Marlies used some nice passing between everyone on the ice to finish the play. Murphy made it 4-2 Toronto when Ben Ondrus set him up alone in front from behind the net. Leeb would add his second of the game short-handed when his harmless wrist shot fooled Garnett and caught the top corner of the net. It was the fifth unanswered goal for the Marlies and chased Garnett from the goal. Adam Berkhoel came in to the game. Chicago made it 5-3 when MacKenzie burried a cross-ice pass in front with 15 seconds to go in the second.

In the third, the Wolves pressed all period to even the score. Coburn would score one minute into the third when his point shot found its way along the ice past Racine to make it 5-4. Despite constant pressure, Racine and the Marlies shut the door and hung on for their first road win in 2006. Chicago out shot Toronto 20-5 in the third.

Racine made 32 saves for the win, Garnett stopped 20 in the loss. The Marlies were 3 for 6 on the power play while the Wolves were 0 for 4.

Marlies Howling After Wild Win In Chicago
Marlies stick it to Wolves
Marlies rally past Wolves
Marlies' big 2nd period too much for Wolves
Boxscore
Maurice likes it fine with Marlies

Next Game: Toronto Marlies (21-17-3) at Milwaukee Admirals (25-11-5)
When: Sunday, January 15, 2005 at 5:00 PM (ET)
Where: Bradley Center
TV: B2 Networks
Radio: AM 640
Web site: www.torontomarlies.com (includes link to B2 Networks $6 web cast).