SPORTS HKN-ISLES-JACKETS 5 OH.JPG

Sergei Bobrovsky (left), Jack Johnson and the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-0 winners over the Islanders on Sunday night, head into the final week of the regular season up three points on the Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs for the last wild card berth in the Eastern Conference.

(Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch)

NEWARK – Sunday wasn't a good off day for the Devils, who fell back to three points out of the Eastern Conference's last wild card playoff spot with the Columbus Blue Jackets shutting out the New York Islanders 4-0.

The Philadelphia Flyers' 4-0 win at home over the Buffalo Sabres also didn't help the Devils, who are trying to avoid not qualifying for the second season in a row.

With the NHL regular season down to just a week, five teams are separated by five points for two wild card spots.

The way things stand now the Detroit Red Wings (88 points) and Blue Jackets (87) are holding spots, with the Devils (84), Toronto Maple Leafs (84) and Washington Capitals (83) still in the running.

All of the contenders have four games remaining except for the Maple Leafs, who have just three to go.

The Devils will try to extend their two-game winning streak and season-best seven-game point streak (4-0-3) Monday night when they play the Calgary Flames at Prudential Center.

Making it a little tougher for the Devils, Columbus will start Wednesday's game in Dallas leading 1-0. The game began March 10 and was postponed 6:23 into the first period due to Stars forward Rich Peverley collapsing on the bench. The game on Wednesday will start over, except for Columbus keeping its 1-0 lead.

Meantime, the Flyers (89 points) could drop into the wild card scene, too. They're currently holding a playoff spot as the third-place team in the Metropolitan Division and hoping to pass the Rangers (91 points) for home ice in a 2-3 first-round matchup. But a bad week could keep them out of the playoffs for the second their in a row. The Flyers have four remaining games, while the Rangers have three to play.

With all these teams so bunched up, it’s very possible that someone will get in on a tiebreaker.

The first tiebreaker is most regulation and overtime victories (ROW), so the Devils, 0-11 in shootouts, get to count all 34 of their wins. The Devils currently would lose the tiebreaker to the Blue Jackets (35 ROWs) and Flyers (37 ROWs), but this could change depending on what happens this week.

The second tiebreaker is combined points in head-to-head meetings. If that produces another tie and the teams played an odd number of games against one another, then only the first in each city count. In this tiebreaker, which won't change this week, the Devils only would beat out the Flyers, Maple Leafs and Capitals.

Here are 10 of the ways the Devils can get in:

SCENARIO 1

Devils finish 4-0-0 with no shootout victories.

Blue Jackets finish 2-1-1 or worse.

Devils and Blue Jackets would be tied with 92 points. Devils would get in by winning first tiebreaker, 38 ROWs to 37.

SCENARIO 2

Devils finish 3-0-1 with no shootout victories.

Blue Jackets finish 2-2-0 with at least one shootout victory.

Capitals finish 3-0-1 or worse.

Devils and Blue Jackets would be tied with 91 points. Devils would get in by winning first tiebreaker with 37 ROWs.

SCENARIO 3

Devils finish 3-1-0, 2-0-2 with no shootout victories.

Blue Jackets finish 1-2-1, 0-1-3 or worse.

Maple Leafs finish 2-0-1 or worse.

Capitals finish 3-1-0 or worse.

Devils and Blue Jackets would be tied with 90 points. Devils would get in by winning first tiebreaker.

SCENARIO 4

Devils finish 3-1-0.

Blue Jackets finish 2-2-0 or better.

Red Wings finish 1-3-0, 0-2-2 or worse.

Maple Leafs finish 2-0-1 or worse.

Capitals finish 3-1-0 or worse.

Blue Jackets would win first wild card with 91 points, Devils would be tied with Red Wings for second wild card with 90 points and qualify by winning first tiebreaker.

SCENARIO 5

Devils finish 2-1-1 with no shootout victories.

Blue Jackets finish 0-2-2 or worse.

Maple Leafs finish 2-1-0 or worse.

Capitals finish 2-1-1 or worse.

Devils and Blue Jackets would be tied with 89 points. Devils would get in by winning first tiebreaker.

SCENARIO 6

Devils finish 4-0-0 with no shootout victories.

Blue Jackets finish 3-1-0 or better.

Flyers finish 1-3-0 or 0-2-2 or worse.

Devils would beat out Flyers in points, 92-91.

SCENARIO 7

Devils finish 4-0-0 with no shootout victories.

Blue Jackets finish 3-1-0 or better.

Flyers finish 1-2-1 or worse.

Devils and Flyers would be tied with 92 points. Devils would get in by winning second tiebreaker.

SCENARIO 8

Devils finish 3-1-0 with no shootout victories.

Blue Jackets finish 2-2-0 or better.

Flyers finish 0-3-1 or worse.

Maple Leafs finish 2-0-1 or worse.

Capitals finish 3-1-0 or worse.

Devils and Flyers would be tied with 90 points. Devils would get in by winning second tiebreaker.

SCENARIO 9

Devils finish 3-1-0.

Maple Leafs finish 3-0-0.

Blue Jackets finish 1-3-0 or worse.

Capitals finish 3-1-0, 2-0-2 or worse.

Devils and Maple Leafs would be tied with 90 points. Devils would get in by winning first tiebreaker.

SCENARIO 10

Devils finish 2-1-1.

Maple Leafs finish 2-0-1.

Blue Jackets finish 0-3-1 or worse.

Capitals finish 2-1-1, 1-0-3 or worse.

Devils and Maple Leafs would be tied with 89 points. Devils would get in by winning first tiebreaker.