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.

The Washington Capitals are in unfamiliar territory after their most recent loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Following the Hurricanes' 5-2 victory in Game 4, Carolina jumped to a 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded Capitals.

Sean Walker’s score came 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.