BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- For the New York Islanders, Sunday's 4-2 victory over Ottawa in the regular-season finale was as bittersweet as the loss was inconsequential for the Senators.

The Islanders (41-29-12) won their season-high sixth straight game to close out the 2016-17 campaign in strong fashion.

However, the latest win came less than 24 hours after the Islanders were mathematically eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race when the Toronto Maple Leafs clinched the final postseason berth in the East with a win Saturday night.

"I loved how we finished, and loved the heart and the execution of how people produced in the last half of the season," Islanders interim coach Doug Weight said. "But we're going to have that taste in our mouths for five months, so next year we have to come out and have a better start."

Meanwhile, the Senators (44-28-10) entered their final regular-season game locked into second place in the Atlantic Division, with home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

With nothing at stake, Ottawa played without 11 of its regulars on Sunday, receiving goals from Bobby Ryan in the second period and Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the third.

"I thought we played with a lot of energy and grit, and the young guys who came in to an NHL game played really well," said Ottawa goalie Mike Condon, who made 17 saves. "It wasn't a game without its mistakes, but we expected that coming in."

New York's Anders Lee and Brock Nelson finished solid seasons on high notes. Lee scored his sixth goal in the final six games and career-best 34th of the season. Nelson reached 45 points, establishing a career high with his 20th goal of the season and two assists Sunday.

"Playoff hockey, that's the fun stuff," Lee said. "I'd trade plenty of those goals if they came early in the year and we'd get a couple more wins."

Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss, who watched Jaroslav Halak backstop the club's late surge with five straight starts and wins through Saturday, stopped 32 shots for his 26th victory of the season.

Andrew Ladd opened the scoring with his 23rd goal of the season 3:23 into the game. The Islanders carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission after killing off three straight Ottawa power plays in the period.

"When you miss the playoffs, there's only one thing you remember, and that's the empty feeling," Ladd said.

Left all alone in front, Lee made it 2-0 New York at 8:17 of the second period, with Josh Bailey getting his 200th career assist on the play and Nelson picking up his first point of the game with the secondary assist.

Nelson then beat Condon through the five-hole on a slick backhand finish at 13:52 to put the Islanders up 3-0.

The Senators broke through with 1:06 to play in the second period when Ryan scored off a three-on-one rush after Islanders defenseman Dennis Seidenberg broke his stick at the other end of the ice.

"They played a little pond hockey, which you can expect," said Ryan, who finished with 13 goals this season. "They stretched everything, which kind of pulled us out of what we try and do. Plus, we had a lot of fill-in guys trying to learn the system on the fly and that's tough. Now it's on to the playoffs."

Pageau netted his 12th goal just 2:34 into the third period, but that goal was ultimately offset by Jason Chimera's 20th, into an empty net with 1:08 left in regulation.

So the Islanders secured one last victory but now head home after 82 games for the first time in three years.

"It's always a weird feeling when the season ends, especially when you don't make the playoffs," Bailey said. "That side of it is disappointing, but the way we finished, I think we're all proud of."

NOTES: The Senators recalled C Nick Paul, D Andreas Englund and G Matt O’Connor from Binghamton of the American Hockey League for the game. ... Senators RW Bobby Ryan returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games due to injury. ... Ottawa scratched 11 players, including D Erik Karlsson, D Mark Methot and C Zack Smith, who are all injured. ... The Islanders scratched C John Tavares (lower body), C Ryan Strome (upper body), C Casey Cizikas (upper body), C Shane Prince (lower body), D Travis Hamonic (upper body), LW Nikolay Kulemin and G J.F. Berube.