MOSCOW, Apr 18 Alexander Ovechkin's «Washington» was released for the eighth time in a row in playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) following the results of Sunday's matches in the regular season, which determined the final composition of the participants in the Stanley Cup from the Eastern Conference. «Washington» advanced to the playoffs ahead of schedule due to the defeat of the Islanders from Toronto ).Results of other matches: «Anaheim» — «Columbus» — 6:4, «Minnesota» — «San Jose» — 5:4 (OT), «Philadelphia» — «Buffalo» — 3:5. East Stanley Cup season is as follows: Florida Panthers (114), Toronto Maple Leafs (106), Carolina Hurricanes (104), New York Rangers (104), Tampa Bay Lightning (100), Boston Bruins (97), Pittsburgh Penguins (97) and Washington Capitals (94). Pairs of the first round will be determined later.
