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John Tavares heard the New York Islanders fans chanting his name in the closing minutes of the team’s final home game of the season.

The captain Roquan Smith Jersey Youth , set to be a free agent this summer, was thankful for the support and reiterated he hopes to be back next season.

”It was really nice from the fans,” Tavares said after the Islanders continued their recent mastery of the Rangers with a 2-1 victory over their crosstown rivals Thursday night.

”I’ve always been treated since Day 1 very well,” he said. ”They’ve always stuck by me and been really proud to have me here and made it a lot easier for me to just kind of grow into the player and person that I am. I’m just appreciative of that. I’m not trying to look at it as it’s the end because obviously that hasn’t been determined. I’ve always wanted it to work out and stay, so that’s still what I hope transpires.”

Thomas Hickey and Anthony Beauvillier scored 2:32 apart in the second period and Jaroslav Halak stopped 34 shots as the Islanders beat the Rangers for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings.

They swept the four-game season series for the second time in the past three seasons, after never previously doing it since joining the NHL in 1972. The Islanders are also 6-0-0 at home against the Rangers since moving to Barclays Center in 2015.

”We just want to beat them no matter what the game is,” Halak said. ”Obviously tonight, for both teams we are out of the playoffs and it doesn’t really mean anything but we still have to finish the season strong. … It’s always a good feeling after these games when we beat them.”

Halak improved to 18-7-0 in his career against the Rangers, including 10-2-0 since joining the Islanders before the 2014-15 season. This season, he went 4-0-0 with a shutout and a 1.47 goals-against average against them.

”The numbers are eye-opening,” Islanders coach Doug Weight said. ”It’s not just a good roll, he gets up for those games. He competes and finds a way to beat them.”

Kevin Hayes scored and Ondrej Pavelec finished with 20 saves for the Rangers Josh Jackson Jersey , who lost for the eighth time in 10 games (2-6-2).

”We got quite a few pucks at the net but against a goaltender that’s got our number the way their guy has right now, you need to get on the inside,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. ”You need to get more traffic and you need to create second opportunities and we didn’t do that well enough.”

This is the first time since 2010 – and just the second since 2001 – that neither team will be in the postseason.

The Rangers will miss out for the first time since that 2009-10 season, and second since the lockout wiped out the 2004-05 campaign.

The Islanders, who won for the fourth time in the past nine overall but just the fifth in 21 (5-12-4), are missing the playoffs for the second straight year, and eighth in the past 11.

”We’re a skilled team, were a good team. We should be a playoff team,” Weight said. ”We have to find a way to be more consistent because we don’t belong where we are right now.”

The Islanders trailed 1-0 after one period and were outshot 13-5 in the second, but scored twice to take the lead.

Hickey tied it on a one-timer off a pass from Mathew Barzal as his shot from the left point deflected off a Rangers player and past Pavelec at 4:55.

Beauvillier put the Islanders ahead on a give-and-go with Andrew Ladd for his 21st at 7:27. It gave the second-year forward a goal in five straight games.

The Rangers got on the scoreboard on a power play 4 1/2 minutes into the game. Brady Skjei’s one-timer went over the net, bounced off the glass to Hayes on the left side and he quickly put it in for his 25th. It gave Hayes a point (four goals, one assist) in five straight games.

NOTES: Barzal got his 61st assist Joe Montana 49ers Jersey , moving one away from tying Sergei Makarov (62 for Calgary in 1989-90) for third-most by a rookie since the 1983-84 season. Barzal is also two away from tying Bryan Trottier for the Islanders’ rookie mark set in 1975-76. … Anders Lee was initially given credit for Hickey’s goal, but it was later changed. That kept Lee one away from becoming the first Islanders player to have 40 since Jason Blake in 2006-07. ”He came off the ice and said `I didn’t touch it,”’ Weight said. … Barzal has 10 goals and 14 points in his past 12 games. … Beauvillier has seven goals and 11 points in his past eight games. … Hayes has 15 goals and 26 points in 32 games since returning from an injury Jan. 25. … Vigneault remained tied with Ron Wilson for 10th place on the career wins list at 648.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At Philadelphia on Saturday in the season finale.

Islanders: At Detroit on Saturday night in the season finale.

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Follow Vin Cherwoo at Al Horford has been the Celtics‘ quiet leader this postseason, and Marcus Smart might be the kindling Boston was missing in back-to-back losses in Milwaukee.

The duo was reunited for Game 5, and together, they helped put the Celtics on the verge of closing out their first-round series.

Horford had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Smart made an impact in his first game since mid-March and Boston beat the Bucks 92-87 on Tuesday night for a 3-2 lead.

Smart came off the bench and had nine points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in his first action since right thumb surgery. He played 25 minutes wearing a protective splint and had a key assist to Horford late from the bottom of a scrum beneath three Milwaukee players.

”I just tried to make sure I got him the ball and it was going to take everything I had,” Smart said. ”They weren’t taking it from me.”

Terry Rozier added 16 points and five assists for Boston. The home team has won all five games in the first-round series, and Game 6 is Thursday in Milwaukee.

Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 23 points, Jabari Parker added 17 points and eight rebounds Odell Beckham Jr Jersey Youth , and Giannis Antetokounmpo had a series-low 16 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The Celtics led by 16 before Milwaukee rallied to make it 74-70 with 7:33 left. Middleton scored later and was fouled to get Milwaukee within 84-79, but he failed to complete the three-point play.

A few possessions later, Smart managed to squeeze out the pass to Horford with three Bucks draped over him, and Horford easily dropped in a layup to make it 86-79 with 28.1 seconds left.

Milwaukee got within 87-84 after a layup by Eric Bledsoe, but the Celtics hit enough free throws the rest of the way to secure the win.

The Bucks entered the game shooting an NBA playoff-best 54 percent from the field, but they hit just 37 percent for the game (32 of 87) – a series low.

Boston needed an energy boost after slow starts in Games 3 and 4, and Smart gave the Celtics exactly that.

He checked in for the first time late in the first quarter. Less than a minute later, he deflected a pass and won a scramble on the floor for the loose ball.

A few possessions later, he was helping protect the rim, getting his hand in to deny an alley-oop dunk attempt by Antetokounmpo.

He was also active on the offensive end, helping drive the ball into the interior of Milwaukee’s defense, like when he tossed an alley-oop to Horford late in the third quarter .

Boston made a change to a smaller lineup Sean Lee Jersey Womens , shifting Horford to center in place of Aron Baynes and starting Semi Ojeleye at forward.

Ojeleye drew the primary responsibility of guarding Antetokounmpo and handled it well. Antetokounmpo had just 10 field goal attempts.

”It’s on me. I had open shots, but they wasn’t my shots,” Antetokounmpo said. ”I think my teammates did a great job finding me, but coming the next game, Game 6, I’ve got to be more aggressive and make more plays.”

TIP-INS

Bucks: F John Henson missed his third straight game with back soreness. … Scored 15 points in first quarter. It was low for a quarter in the series, excluding the Game 1 overtime period (eight points).

Celtics: Finished with 18 turnovers. … Outscored the Bucks 32-28 in the paint.

HE SAID IT

”It’s win or go home, so I mean you can’t leave nothing on the line. That’s pretty much how you play this whole playoffs – you leave it all out there. Tonight we had too many lapses where we just didn’t want it as bad as they did.” – Middleton

DROUGHT AND A RUN

The Celtics went without a field goal from Rozier’s 3-pointer with 9:14 left in the third until Jaylen Brown hit from beyond the arc with 4:26 to go in the period.

It allowed Milwaukee to go on a 12-2 run, trimming Boston’s lead to 58-52.

STILL BEEFING

Rozier and Eric Bledsoe got tangled up with 9:33 left in the third quarter. Rozier bumped Bledsoe near the baseline. Bledsoe responded with a hard shove. They then got face-to-face and had to be separated.

Bledsoe was assessed a flagrant foul and Rozier was issued a technical foul.

It was the continuation of some off-court chiding between the pair.

Rozier called Bledsoe ”Drew Bledsoe” when asked about him after Game 1. Bledsoe has since responded by saying ”Who?” whenever he’s asked about Rozier.

”We’re looking forward to Game (6),” Bledsoe said. ”It’s as simple as that.”

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