Rock clinches playoff spot with Buffalo win

ROCHESTER – Even though the Toronto Rock clinched a playoff berth last night with Buffalo’s win over Philadelphia, there is still some unfinished business for the Rock to handle.

Toronto needs a win over Rochester to host a home playoff game next weekend, but history is not on their side. The Rock is 0-9 in regular season games at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The only Toronto win in Rochester was in the 2003 championship game.

Toronto won the last meeting between the two teams, edging the Knighthawks 11-10 in overtime. In that game, Aaron Wilson had four goals for the Rock, while Matt Shearer ended a scoring slump and scored three unanswered goals to lift Toronto to victory, including the game-tying goal in regulation and the game winner in OT.

While Buffalo clinched first place overall in the East and the league with the win over the Wings last night, the other four spots in the league are still undetermined even though the Rock have clinched a playoff berth.
Buffalo 11-4
Toronto 8-7
Rochester 8-7
Minnesota 8-7
Philadelphia 7-8

If the Rock loses in Rochester, they will finish in either third or fourth place in the division, depending on the results of the other Buffalo-Philadelphia and Portland-Minnesota games Saturday night. Buffalo has already clinched first place overall. Here are the scenarios with a Rock loss:
– If Minnesota and Philadelphia both lose, Toronto would finish in third place. Philadelphia would be eliminated with a 7-9 record. Minnesota would finish fourth.
– If both Minnesota and Philadelphia win, Toronto would finish in fourth place and Philadelphia would be eliminated as Toronto has a 2-1 head-to-head record against the Wings.
– If Minnesota wins and Philadelphia loses, Toronto would finish fourth.
If Minnesota loses and Philadelphia wins, Toronto finishes fourth (Toronto and Minnesota split the head-to-head, but Toronto has the second tiebreaker with a better record in the East Division).

If the Rock hosts a home playoff game, it will be played on Saturday April 22, with the time to be determined.

Following tomorrow’s Toronto Rock game in Rochester, a media advisory will be sent out. Results in other games can be monitored at www.pointstreak.com or www.nll.com.