Svechnikov scores late in 3rd period, Hurricanes edge Capitals in Game 5 to reach Eastern Final

WASHINGTON -- Andrei Svechnikov scored the go-ahead goal with 1:59 remaining in the third period, and the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the Washington Capitals with a 3-1 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Capital One Arena on Thursday.

Svechnikov took a return pass from Sean Walker on the rush and scored with a tough-angle shot from the bottom of the right circle.

“I knew it's a rush opportunity for us and I knew 'Walksy' was up top,” Svechnikov said. “I tried to pass it to him and he kind of give it to me back. I probably didn't expect it, but it was right on my stick and at that point I only had a shot.”

Capitals goalie Logan Thompson said he lost sight of the puck for a second.

“There was kind of bodies coming in between, and it’s my job to find the lane and get my eyes on it and he sifted it through,” Thompson said. “It was a terrible goal to give up to end a season and I’ve got to wear that.”

Seth Jarvis scored into an empty net with 27 seconds remaining for the 3-1 final.

Carolina will play the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.

"It's an amazing feeling, obviously,” Walker said. “It's hard to win on the road, especially in the playoffs. The building was really good tonight for them. There was definitely momentum swings here and there. It's pretty special to come and win like that. We'll have a day off and then refocus and get back at it."

Jarvis had a goal and an assist, and Jordan Staal also scored for the Hurricanes, who are the No. 2 seed from the Metropolitan Division. Frederik Andersen made 18 saves.

“I think there was some ebbs and flows to the game, but for the most part we had a pretty consistent game,” Staal said. “Tight games like that it takes one bounce, and tonight it was (Svechnikov), just kind of ripped one on net, got a fortunate bounce and that's kind of the way it goes sometimes. It was a big win.”

Anthony Beauvillier scored for the Capitals, the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan and the Eastern Conference. Thompson made 19 saves.

“It’s awful. I told them that,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “It’s awful, yeah, because you did feel this team was capable of doing something special and potentially going to the Cup finals and making some noise. We knew we had our work out for us. We knew it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing through this, but we believed.”

Staal gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 9:38 of the first period. He knocked the puck away from defenseman Jakob Chychrun along the boards to Jordan Martinook, who passed back to Staal for a wrist shot from the right circle.

Beauvillier tied it 1-1 at 13:41. Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin attempted to rim the puck around his own net, but it caromed off the end boards to the top of the crease for Beauvillier to shove between Andersen’s pads.

It was Washington’s seventh and last goal of the series.

“Yeah, it’s tough obviously,” Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said. “We have a special group but obviously we have our chances. Maybe we don’t execute, maybe luck was not on our side because I don’t think we played bad hockey. I think we have lots of great chances to get the lead, but it’s tough.”

Thompson made a lunging stick save with 36 seconds remaining in the first period to deny Logan Stankoven of a tap-in at the top of the crease.

Matt Roy appeared to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead with a one-timer at 2:15 of the second period, but Carolina challenged and video review determined that the goal was offside on the zone entry.

Andersen stretched to make a left pad save on Pierre-Luc Dubois in behind the defense in the opening minute of the third period to keep the game tied.

“There's a couple other [saves], but that one in particular,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “All of a sudden, we have that breakdown, and there's a save. And he bails us out. And that's what great goaltending does for a team, and obviously we hope that continues.”

Washington outshot Carolina 10-5 in the third period.

“When you don't get the quality chances, sometimes you get the chance in the third or you get a chance late and you haven't had a good chance in a couple games,” Capitals forward Dylan Strome said. “Sometimes you tighten up, and we just couldn't find that last goal.”

NOTES: Carolina defenseman Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed injury) was a scratch and defenseman Alexander Nikishin, the Hurricanes third-round pick (69th overall) in the 2020 NHL draft, had two shots in 10:33 and took a penalty in his NHL debut. … Jarvis has a four-game point streak (two goals, three assists).