THE QUEST FOR

Maple Leafs have tough week ahead with all three games against playoff-bound teams

Ninety-three is considered the magic number of points that ought to clinch the Maple Leafs a playoff spot, based on how many points were needed in the past to clinch a post-season berth.

But the Leafs will need to go on a tear down the stretch to get to that total after going into a horrible slump before their win over Montreal on Saturday.

The Leafs would need 26 points with just 17 games left in the season, or up to 13 wins to reach that magic number.

The Leafs (67 points) are in 12th place, three points behind the Winnipeg Jets for eighth spot in the Eastern Conference prior to Monday night’s game.

But they’d still have to leapfrog over Washington (69), Tampa Bay (68) and Buffalo (68) to get that post-season berth.

THE WEEK AHEAD

OPPONENTS: Tuesday home to Bruins; Wednesday in Pittsburgh; Saturday home to Flyers.

OUTLOOK: 0-2-1

SKINNY: Three superior opponents. Three tough games. There isn’t a gimme among them. But if the Leafs manage to lose the first two, they’ll be up for the Saturday game against the Flyers. Even that will be tough, so an overtime loss is the safer prediction. The Leafs have just one win in their last seven games against the Flyers.

GAMES LEFT AFTER THIS WEEK:

HOME (6): N.Y. Islanders (March 20), N.Y. Rangers (March 24), Carolina (March 27), Philadelphia (March 29), Buffalo (March 31), Tampa Bay (April 5)

ROAD (8): Washington (March 11), Florida (March 13), Tampa (March 15), Ottawa (March 17), Boston (March 19), New Jersey (March 23), Buffalo (April 3), Montreal (April 7)