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 host Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Monday night and take a 3-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.

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. Taylor Hall flipped a pass to Walker to surge up the left side, then he hesitated to cut inside behind Jack Roslovic to score at the 16:45 mark to push the lead back to 4-2.

Svechnikov followed with his seventh postseason goal shortly after the Capitals pulled Thompson, the capper on a night when Carolina twice led by two goals but had to hold on in a tense finish down the stretch.

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

The series shifts back to Washington for Game 5 on Thursday.

Stars look to go up 3-1 against Jets: The Dallas Stars keep responding in these NHL playoffs, like they have all season.

Now they go into Game 4 tonight at home with a chance for a 3-1 series lead against the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

“It’s the best response team that I’ve coached in my time here, coming off, not necessarily a poor effort, but a loss or maybe we’re not as good as we could be, (and) rectifying that quickly,” third-year Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “There’s an honesty to the group and the leadership in the group. They’re willing to accept hard coaching. You don’t have to sugarcoat it with them, which is nice.”

Dallas has had to change the way it plays defensively since Miro Heiskanen injured his left knee Jan. 28, and the standout defenseman still hasn’t played since.

In the only NHL game tonight, Winnipeg now must respond to even the series and regain home-ice advantage.

“For sure. It’s important. We need to get one on the road here,” Jets forward Kyle Connor said. “That next one is the best chance we’ve got.”