The Maple Leafs could not rally from a 3-2 series deficit a couple of weeks ago, but perhaps their farm team can earn their spurs and learn about adversity facing elimination on Monday.

That’s the situation for the Marlies after a surprisingly flat effort Saturday night in Syracuse, a 5-1 loss marked by many of the same woes that put them down two in the series at War Memorial Stadium. This time, the Marlies were not just overwhelmed, but were done in by their own 0-for-5 power play and a short-handed goal early in the third period that dashed any hope of a comeback.

That’s 16 Crunch goals in their three home dates, making Game 6 at Ricoh Coliseum a must win, to go back to Syracuse or go golfing after two playoff rounds.

“We were out-competed tonight,” Toronto captain Andrew Campbell said. “They capitalized on our mistakes, now we go home and return the favour. We’ve had a good record at home for a long time for whatever reason.

“They have a good fast team, but you have to put some doubt in their minds.”

GAME ON

Toronto took a 1-0 lead Saturday on a great point shot from Steve Oleksy, one of the many veteran blueliners to step up this spring. But the team scoring first has now lost four of five games in this series and after 12 first-period shots, Toronto had just 14 the rest of the way, despite three of its man advantages coming in the final period.

After Matthew Peca evened it, Kasperi Kapanen stumbled at the Syracuse line, leading to an odd-man break. Kasimir Kaskisuo made the initial save on Cory Conacher, but Joel Vermin cleaned up. Soon after, Kevin Lynch picked off a William Wrenn clearing attempt up the boards and beat Kaskisuo. Jonathan Racine provided the dagger with the shorty after Conacher was called at the second period horn. Gabriel Dumont later found an empty net.

Before the game, Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe noted “as much as we’ve played better the past two games, one we had to come back late and win, the other was a one-goal game. The margin for error gets smaller, especially on the road.”

TOUGH SWEDE

We’re guessing Andreas Johnsson’s father wasn’t pushed around too much.

At 6-foot-2, Jonas the elder was routinely high among the Frolunda club’s penalty leaders in the Swedish Elite League. But he didn’t break ground in North America, leaving that to the smaller Andreas, a late Leaf pick in 2013 who came to the Marlies at the end of last season. The 5-foot-10 Andreas has had a rude greeting over here, concussed by a hit in his second game in 2016 (Dan Kelly of Albany received a 10-game suspension), facing various physical challenges since then, capped by his first fight during Game 3 against Syracuse. He still has the shiner from that as a souvenir.

But a team-leading five goals through the first nine playoff games shows he’s learning the art of survival.

“I’m a small guy, I can’t really try to hit and everything,” Johnsson said. “I have to work harder and be more intense.

“If I have a 1-on-1, I have to be smart enough not to go body-on-body all the time. I probably won’t win every one of those situations, I have to be smarter. But I feel because I’m smaller I have to do other stuff to prove myself. I feel good (to be scoring) and I’m happy be part of this organization.”

GOALIE CRUNCH

Syracuse threw a curve at the Marlies in Game 5, by not coming back with Latvian Kristers Gudlevskis in net. That’s who the Marlies were most familiar with at the end of the year, but Mike McKenna delivered in the first round for the Crunch and up until the last two minutes of Game 3.

After six goals in 22 minutes that leaked into the start of Game 4, Syracuse turned to Gudlevskis, who many think will be backing up Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tampa next year. But despite the latter shutting the door for 40 minutes, McKenna was back on the horse Saturday and played well.

“We were ready for both coming in to the series, knowing McKenna was going to get the bulk of the work,” Keefe insisted before Saturday. “Regardless of what they do, I’m going to continue to focus on our game.”

ICE CHIPS

Newly signed Leaf winger Carl Grundstrom, after three strong games was held in check for the most part on Saturday and was a minus 3 ... Brendan Leipsic was also held without a shot ... Making it harder for the Marlies in Game 6 will be the return of physical Syracuse defenceman Jake Dotchin from a three-game suspension for the season-ending hit on Frederik Gauthier ... Crunch winger Daniel Walcott came back wearing a full shield on Saturday after being struck by a puck in the face in Game 4.