RALEIGH, N.C. -- 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.