Sean Bergenheim scored twice in the second period as the fifth-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning completed a four-game sweep of the top-seeded Washington Capitals in their Eastern Conference semifinal series with their seventh consecutive playoff victory, a 5-3 home triumph on Wednesday.

Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist, Ryan Malone and defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron netted power-play tallies and Dwayne Roloson made 33 saves for the Lightning, who advanced to the conference finals for the second time in franchise history. Their only other appearance came in 2004, when they went on to win the Stanley Cup championship.

Marco Sturm and blue-liners John Erskine and John Carlson scored while Michal Neuvirth stopped 32 shots for Washington, which has not gotten beyond the conference semifinals since making its only Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1998.

With the game even at 1-1, Bergenheim put his own rebound past Neuvirth from the low slot at 4:41 of the second period. The Finn gave Tampa Bay its first two-goal lead in the series less than eight minutes later, burying another rebound on the doorstep with 7:26 remaining for his sixth goal in as many games.

Erskine halved Washington's deficit 66 seconds later, beating Roloson with a bad-angle shot from along the left wing boards for his first career playoff tally. But Bergeron ended any comeback hopes with a blast from the blue line that beat a screened Neuvirth to the stick side during a power play at 5:07 of the third.

The teams traded power-play goals in the first period, with both scores coming on fortunate bounces.

A cross-crease pass from captain Vincent Lecavalier deflected off Malone's skate and in at 12:37, giving the Lightning a 1-0 edge. With 90 seconds to play in the session, Sturm was credited with the tying goal when the puck bounced off his head and past Roloson after being chipped into Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman by teammate Brett Clark.