The Carolina Hurricanes are tied with the New York Islanders for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Each team has 64 points, one more than the 9th place Columbus Blue Jackets. Carolina has 22 games remaining, one more than the Isles, one fewer than Columbus. It’s really close.

Then why does it seem so far away?

Even the most optimistic fan will admit that the Canes have done everything possible to fritter away enough chances that it’s hard to believe they’re still in control of their fate. And harder still to imagine them winning the necessary games to get across the line and end this seemingly infinite playoff drought.

Yet, it’s right there near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. Carolina 64, NY Islanders 64, Columbus 63.

Last Tuesday night, the Hurricanes blew the doors off the Los Angeles Kings, 7-3, for their third straight win and headed into a critical three-game stretch on a roll and with a chance to impose their will on the playoff race in the East. They’d play the New Jersey Devils twice, sandwiched around a match against the Islanders. At that time, those three, along with the Blue Jackets, seemed in a battle for the final two slots, and it wasn’t too far-fetched to think that a spot in the top three of the division was out of the question considering Philadelphia’s goaltending injuries.

Then, as the kids say, it got real.

If you think the first word after the second comma might be missing a couple of letters at the front, you’d be correct. The Hurricanes entered Thursday’s game with a chance to change places in the standings with the Devils, a team missing their starting goaltender and just a year removed from from a last place finish in the conference.

Final score: Devils 5, Hurricanes 2.

Too many mistakes in front of Scott Darling and the Canes’ would-be number one net minder didn’t help his own cause with some questionable goals allowed, but the bottom line is that Carolina was clearly second best on a night with much at stake.

Never mind, the next night, the Islanders were at PNC Arena with the NHL’s most porous defense and a goaltender with the worst goals against average and save percentage in the entire league. No kidding, Thomas Greiss, the Isles starter, was dead last in the league in both categories among goalies who’d appeared in at least 20 games. Forty-five Greiss saves later, the Hurricanes were shut out. On home ice.

Final score: Islanders 3, Hurricanes 0.

After a day off, the Devils skated into Raleigh for a late-afternoon affair. A revenge game for Carolina. And a contest that marked the second half of a back-to-back set for New Jersey, who was coming off a road win at Tampa, the best team in the league, the night before. Yet, with the Devils having flown into town in the middle of the night, an earlier-than-normal opening face off and still without their number one goalie — even with whatever extra motivation might come with having lost to New Jersey four nights earlier — it was the Devils who made the plays when needed.

Final score: Devils 3, Hurricanes 2 (OT).

Sure, the Hurricanes had a big edge in shots on goal. Carolina doubled the shots of New Jersey (42-21), and when you add in the 37 other shots that were either blocked or missed the net, the Canes 79-41 edge certainly gave the appearance of looking more dangerous on the stat sheet. Friday night was the same story. Same with Thursday.

In fact, over this three-game losing streak, the Hurricanes have had an enormous edge in shots on goal (116-65) and an even wider gulf in total shots attempted (224-120). But the only stat that matters is goals scored, and in that column Carolina was in arrears, 11-4.

Why?

Carolina just isn’t good enough, dynamic enough, creative enough, or strong enough down the middle of the ice. It was a problem General Manager Ron Francis hoped to address in the summer, but couldn’t. Derek Ryan and Victor Rask haven’t demonstrated the ability to impact the game in any significant way. At their best, Ryan has done more, which might say more about how far Rask has fallen since his sophomore season. But each was largely invisible on Sunday, apart from the glaring Ryan turnover as a late second-period power play was expiring that led to New Jersey’s go-ahead goal.

Carolina’s goaltending also isn’t good enough. Cam Ward has clearly been better than Scott Darling, to the point where I’m not sure Scott should start other than to give Cam a rest. Not only is that over-selling Ward’s performance, which has been good, but still dotted with pockets of wish-I-could-have-that-back moments. But, it’s also ignoring the fact that we know what happened last year when Ward was the only NHL goaltender at Bill Peters’ disposal. The more Cam plays the closer he is to running out of gas. Maybe that won’t happen, but history tells us it probably will.

This team makes WAAAAAAAAAAY too many mistakes. All three goals the Devils scored on Sunday were the product of Carolina errors. A combination of lost focus, poor puck management and a lack of attention to detail that can only be saved by outstanding goaltending. And on the nights when the latter isn’t there, you lose.

As evidenced by the four goals in 9-plus periods, the Canes still have scoring issues, especially in these tighter-checking games played with a bit of a post season edge. But, to bottom line this a bit, there are several players who’ve seen their offense dry up.

Noah Hanifin hasn’t scored a goal since Dec. 21, twenty-sox games ago. Victor Rask, one goal in his last 17 games. Tuevo Teravainen’s ricochet goal snapped a 10-game drought. Jordan Staal has scored once in his last 16 games. Elias Lindholm once in his last 14. Ryan is without a scoring point in 11 straight. Oh, and the Canes are 0-4-2 in their last six against the Metropolitan Division.

Did I mention that in spite of all of this, the Hurricanes are still dead even in the standings for the final wild-card spot?

Somehow, with all of the blown leads, and squandered points, the Canes enter the final 22 games with no one to rely upon other than the 20 players on the ice every night. A significant trade is almost certainly not coming. Francis may try to improve the team at the margins, and that might be enough to push them over the threshold. But, he’s been steadfast in building for the long haul, and any deal that deviates from that plan is unlikely.

Thanks to the state of the Blue Jackets and Islanders, the Canes are being given yet another chance. Now, does Carolina have enough to take advantage?

Starting Friday against the red hot Penguins, we’ll begin to answer that question. I know many of you have already reached your decision.

And I don’t blame you a bit.