Marlies clinch playoff berth

Bates Battaglia broke a 3-3 tie with 5:09 left in regulation and J.F. Racine finished with 34 saves as Toronto wrapped up the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division with a 5-3 win in Rochester on Wednesday.

The Amerks rallied from an early two-goal deficit, but the loss also means they will miss the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1989.

Brett Englehardt and Aleksander Suglobov gave the Marlies a 2-0 lead less than nine minutes into the game, but Michael Ryan, Chris Thorburn and Daniel Paille gave Rochester the lead heading into the second intermission.

Tyler Beechey tied the score, and Battaglia netted the game-winner, his 19th goal of the season, at the 14:51 mark of the third.

Rochester, needing a regulation win to keep its postseason hopes alive, pulled goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier for an extra attacker with three minutes remaining, but Racine and the Marlies held on to win.

Elsewhere on Wednesday:

Ramzi Abid scored the winning goal with 1:46 left in regulation as Chicago earned its eighth straight victory, 3-1 over Omaha

Norm Milley and Zdenek Blatny each scored twice and Jonathan Boutin made 36 saves as Springfield defeated Manchester, 6-3

Tomas Plihal picked up two goals and an assist during a six-goal second period and Cleveland held on for a 6-5 win over visiting Grand Rapids

Pavel Vorobiev recorded a goal and an assist in Norfolk’s 3-1 win over Philadelphia, mathematically eliminating the defending Calder Cup champions from playoff contention

Jeff Heerema registered a hat trick, Grant Potulny scored twice and Denis Hamel added his 52nd goal of the season as Binghamton posted a 6-4 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton