The Toronto Rock clinched a playoff berth by defeating the Philadelphia Wings, 17-15, Saturday night at the Wachovia Center, in the first of the teams' three meetings over nine days.

Toronto's victory also helped Buffalo clinch a spot in the playoffs, leaving the Wings to battle with Rochester for the final spot in the Eastern Division.

Philadelphia had a strong first half, leading 4-2 at the end of the first quarter and 8-5 at the half, but Toronto unleashed a third period juggernaut, taking a lead that the Wings were not able to overcome despite scoring the final four goals of the game.

Toronto's Matt Shearer began the offensive efforts nearly five minutes into the game, followed a minute later by the Wings' Keith Cromwell.

Blaine Manning again gave the Rock a one point lead, but the final three goals of the period were scored by the Wings. Tom Marechek scored twice and Dan Marohl snuck one in between, giving the Wings a 4-2 advantage at the end of the period.

Marohl added another goal to start off the second quarter, but Manning and Shearer combined for two goals right after that, reducing the Rock deficit to one goal. Marechek responded by completing the hat trick and was followed seconds later by a Jeff Spano goal, for a 7-4 lead.

Aaron Wilson managed to get one last Rock goal in for the period, but Jeff Ratcliffe took it back with less than a minute to go in the first half, giving the Wings an 8-5 advantage heading into the locker rooms.

Shearer and Manning got the first two goals of the second half, cutting the Wings lead to one goal. Jeff Ratcliffe gave the Wings another goal, answered immediately by Rusty Kruger. Jake Bergey made it a 10-8 game and then all hell broke loose upon the Wings.

Toronto went on a tear, with Jim Veltman, Colin Doyle, Manning, and Wilson combining for the next five goals. After Wilson completed his hat trick with the fifth goal, Wings netminder Dallas Eliuk was replaced by Nick Schroeder, who fared no better.

The Wings got the next goal with a goal from Andrew Burkholder, but Doyle started off another run to end the period with a 14-11 Rock lead.

In the fourth, Josh Sanderson picked up where Doyle had just left off, scoring two goals in a row -- both assisted by Doyle, who then found rope again himself.

Up 17-11, that was the final goal for Toronto -- but the Wings weren't finished yet.

Ratcliffe scored exactly halfway through the quarter, followed by goals from Marechek and Bergey four minutes later and another from "Rat" a short time later, but the large deficit proved too much to overcome.

Toronto has now won five straight games and eight of its last nine, and faces the Wings again twice next weekend in a home-and-home showdown crucial to the Wings’ playoff hopes.

To keep their playoff hopes alive, the Wings must win both of those and defeat Minnesota the following week, and still will rely on the outcome of other games to secure that final Eastern Division berth.