BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The Marlies' power play couldn't get it done on Sunday, so Connor Brown got to work on the penalty kill.

Brown scored what turned into the game winner while shorthanded and Garret Sparks made 31 saves as Toronto beat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3-0 in Game 2 of its American Hockey League playoff series.

The Marlies now lead the best-of-five first-round set 2-0 and can clinch on Thursday when they host Game 3 at Ricoh Coliseum.

With the game scoreless midway through the second period and Toronto killing off an interference penalty to Connor Carrick, Brown broke in on his off wing and beat Bridgeport's Stephon Williams on a second-chance effort to give Toronto a 1-0 lead at 12:01.

Ben Smith doubled his club's lead 2:50 into the third and Brown added his second of the game and third of the series into an empty net to secure the victory.

Coach Sheldon Keefe gave Sparks the start after opening with Antoine Bibeau, who made 31 stops in a 4-1 win in Game 1. Keefe's only other lineup change on Sunday was inserting forward Kasperi Kapanen for Tobias Lindberg.

Williams kicked out 34-of-36 shots for the Sound Tigers.

Toronto went 0 for 5 on the power play while Bridgeport failed to score on three chances with the man advantage.