Washington’s 14-year playoff streak came to an end Saturday night despite a 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders in Landover, Md., as the Capitals were knocked out of contention by Ottawa’s defeat of Buffalo.

The Capitals not only had to win their own game, but hope the Senators lost. A win or tie by Ottawa would force Washington out of the running for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Ottawa beat the Sabres 1-0 on a third-period goal by Steve Duchesne to earn its first playoff berth.

The Senators mobbed goaltender Ron Tugnutt at the final buzzer.

Elsewhere …

Montreal clinched a playoff berth by tying visiting Philadelphia 3-3 on Vincent Damphousse’s third-period goal.

The tie also gave New Jersey home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Even if the Flyers beat the Devils in their regular-season finale today, New Jersey would finish one point ahead of Philadelphia.

Brotherly hate?

As a sideshow to the Hartford-Buffalo game last week, the Primeau brothers, Keith and Wayne, got into a fight.

“It doesn’t matter who it is,” said Keith, the older of the two by 4-1/2 years. “He was scuffling with our goaltender, and I had to do something.”

“We’re a close-knit family,” said Wayne, “but we’re both the type of guys who like to win and will do whatever it takes to win. It was a good tradeoff. We needed (Keith) off the ice.”