Islanders Magic Number for the Playoffs is 94

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Mar 24, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak (41) and defenseman Calvin de Haan (44) look on in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the PPG PAINTS Arena. The Islanders won 4-3 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

There are only seven games remaining for the Islanders in the 2016-17 season. That’s a maximum of 14 points they could put up on the board. How many do they need to pull away from the pack and make the dance?

The easy answer is “all the points”. Realistically though we all know the Islanders won’t win their last seven remaining games. So, looking at the rest of their direct competition, how many can they actually claim and where does that put them.

The competition for the last wild card spot comes down to four teams plus the Islanders. That’s Toronto, Boston, Tampa in the Atlantic and Carolina and the Isles from the Metro.

How do their schedules look for the remainder of the season? Do they face established playoff teams, bubble teams, or teams well out of the race? Are they at home, away and how have they fared in either scenario? Back-to-backs?

Looking at all of those factors for each team, how many points can they be expected to accumulate in this final stretch and how do the Islanders fare in comparison?

Is it possible to expect them to make the playoffs with seven games to go and leapfrogging a number of teams?