The Skinny on the Playoff Race

(Complete Skinny will follow later)

Playoff Chase (updated for Isles SO loss on Saturday)

3rd Metro Isles         90 points (27 RW) in 80 games  (MON at New Jersey, WED vs. Pittsburgh)

2nd WC Pittsburgh     86 points (31 RW) in 79 games  (SAT vs. Boston, MON vs. Nashville, WED at Isles)

3rd WC  Washington  85 points (29 RW) in 79 games  (SAT vs. Tampa Bay, MON vs. Boston, TUE at Philadelphia)

4th  WC Detroit         85 points (27 RW) in 79 games  (SAT at Toronto, MON vs. Montreal, TUE at Montreal)

5th  WC Philadelphia  85 points (29 RW) in 80 games  (SAT vs. New Jersey, TUE vs. Washington)

Maximum Points & Regulation Wins (two teams qualify)

• Isles 94/29

• Pittsburgh 92/34

• Washington 91/32

• Detroit 91/30

• Philadelphia 89/31 (mathematically alive for WC)

Magic Number Time

The Isles are guaranteed to finish ahead of Columbus, Montreal, Ottawa, New Jersey, Buffalo, and Philadelphia. They need to finish ahead of (at least) two of these teams to make playoffs (Magic number in parenthesis):

Detroit (2), Washington (2), Pittsburgh (3). Thus, their magic number is three to clinch 3rd place in the Metro and is two to clinch a wild card. 

Saturday's Later Games

New Jersey at Philadelphia 5:00

Tampa Bay at Washington 5:30

Detroit at Toronto 7:00

Boston at Pittsburgh 8:00

The Isles will be third in the Metro after Saturday's games regardless of any results.

The Isles will clinch a playoff spot tonight if Washington and Detroit both lose in regulation.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick