Alexander Nikishin is making his NHL debut for the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday night at the Washington Capitals. Nikishin took the pre-warmups solo lap customary for players getting into their first game in the league,

Defenseman Jalen Chatfield was not at Canes practice Wednesday and Nikishin was paired with fellow Russian Dmitry Orlov.

Andrei Svechnikov scored the go-ahead goal with just under two minutes left and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 in Game 5 on Thursday night, winning the second-round series and advancing to the Eastern Conference final for a second time in three years.