Walker, Svechnikov score late as Hurricanes push Capitals to brink of elimination in 5-2 win

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sean Walker cut to the middle of the ice and beat Logan Thompson for a critical late goal, then Andrei Svechnikov followed with an empty-net clincher to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Monday night and take a 3-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Carolina improved to 5-0 at home in the playoffs and can clinch a second trip to the Eastern Conference final in three years by winning Game 5 in Washington on Thursday.

“If I’m just honest with how I feel about it, I thought our first two games (on the road) might’ve been better than some of these games — just the chances we’ve given up, a little too much here for me,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “But obviously at this time of year, it’s about results. I like where we’re at, that’s for sure.”

Walker’s score was a big one, coming after the Capitals had pulled to within 3-2 on Alex Ovechkin’s one-timer blast on a 5-on-3 power play with about eight minutes left. It started on a puck battle and the unusual sight of Washington’s Rasmus Sandin skating in only to get the blade of his stick stuck in a gap along the boards, allowing Taylor Hall to collect the puck and flip a pass to the surging Walker up the left side.

Walker hesitated to cut behind Jack Roslovic and score at the 16:45 mark to push the lead back to 4-2, marking his first career postseason goal.

Svechnikov followed with his seventh postseason goal shortly after the Capitals pulled Thompson, the capper after Carolina twice led by two goals but had to hold on through the final 10 minutes.

“I think as a whole, we kind of kept our composure,” Walker said. “Didn’t really panic, just stuck to our systems.”

Hall, Seth Jarvis and Shayne Gostisbehere also scored for the Hurricanes, while Frederik Andersen carried a shutout into the third before finishing with 19 saves.

Just as importantly, the Hurricanes twice responded as the Capitals inched within a goal in the third. Hall’s score on a 1-on-1 chance came less than three minutes after Jakob Chychrun had brought the Capitals to within 2-1, sprung on a long pass from Roslovic after he was slow coming back and Washington’s defense lost track of him.

Walker’s score came about 4 1/2 minutes after Ovechkin’s goal.

Ovechkin’s blast got the NHL’s career goals leader on the scoresheet for the first time this series. Thompson finished with 32 saves.

“We’re giving ourselves some opportunities, we’re just not executing, making the play, whatever you want to call it,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “And making some mistakes — and they’re capitalizing.”

To that point, the Eastern Conference’s top seed got a quick start after a Game 3 shutout, starting with Connor McMichael getting a 1-on-1 chance on Andersen in the opening minute. Aliaksei Protas followed by ringing the right post shortly after.

Washington also managed just one shot on goal during a 4-minute power play, the first 3 1/2 minutes of those coming to close the first period.

“Their penalty kill is excellent, best in the league, has been for the last, whatever, five years call it,” Carbery said. “But it can’t look like that. It cannot look like that.”

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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