New York: The Detroit Red Wings are headed to the NHL’s Stanley Cup play-offs for the 25th straight year despite falling 3-2 to the New York Rangers in their regular-season finale on Saturday.

Kevin Hayes scored with 5:38 remaining in the third period to help give the Rangers the victory, but the Red Wings advanced to the post-season after the Boston Bruins were beaten 6-1 by the Ottawa Senators.

Detroit clinched third place in the Atlantic Division and will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. They and the Philadelphia Flyers secured play-off spots to complete the 16-team post-season field on the last full day of regular-season action.

Two games that were postponed by snow were to be made up on Sunday, with the outcomes affecting some still-to-be-decided first-round playoff matchups.

After their home defeat by the Senators, the Bruins still had a playoff shot, but the Flyers put paid to that in Philadelphia.

The Flyers knew when the puck dropped that if they beat the Penguins they would punch their ticket, and Wayne Simmonds scored two goals to help them do it.

Goalie Steve Mason made 18 saves in the 3-1 win. The Flyers-Islanders game will be watched with interest by the Penguins because it will help determine whether they face the Rangers or the Islanders, who fell 4-3 to the Buffalo Sabres.

The Red Wings were just relieved to keep their play-off streak alive, despite dropping their last two games. “It feels good,” said center Henrik Zetterberg.

“We had a chance by winning here to make the post-season. I thought we made a good effort. We had a lot of chances and couldn’t find the back of the net.

“But I’m just going to send thanks to Ottawa. They showed up in Boston and played a good game.”

In St. Louis, Alex Ovechkin ended the regular season on a high note, reaching the 50-goal mark for the seventh time with his 15th career hat trick in the Washington Capitals’ 5-1 victory over the Blues.

The only two players with more seasons with 50 or more goals in NHL history are Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky - who each had nine 50-goal seasons.

The Capitals, who snapped a season-high three-game losing streak, will play the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs.

The Blues, who came into the game with a chance to pass the Dallas Stars instead finished second in the Central Division and will face the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.