COLUMBUS, OHIO — The unwelcome sound of a cannon blast came with less than five minutes left in the game, and the Washington Capitals might have tightened the grips on their sticks as their three goal-lead had suddenly shrunk to one.

But in a game with significant playoff seeding implications and one pocked with frequent post-whistle skirmishes, the Capitals kept their cool and showed why they’re now on the verge of clinching the Metropolitan Division title.

Seemingly at ease in a big game against a talented opponent, the Capitals’ 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena gave Washington even more cushion in the race to earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

“We came with a lot more purpose than we have been lately,” coach Barry Trotz said.

“It was a playoff-type of game,” winger Andre Burakovsky said. “It’s the end of the year, we’re both fighting for that first spot and it was a four-point game and we both really needed it.”

That Washington prevailed in that atmosphere is an encouraging sign with the actual playoffs approaching. With the Capitals’ win, they now have 112 points and are five points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and six ahead of the Blue Jackets with just four games left in the regular season. Sunday’s performance was another step for the Capitals in securing their goal of winning the division.

“I think it’s important,” winger T.J. Oshie said. “I think home ice throughout the postseason is important. I think whoever we matchup against it’s going to be a battle, but we definitely want to finish in that top spot and we want to finish well.”

Washington pulled away with a three-goal second period that broke open a scoreless game. Oshie started the scoring 1:12 into the period when he cut to the middle and backhanded a shot past Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Less than two minutes later, Capitals center Lars Eller skated behind the net and passed the puck back to Burakovsky, who precisely sniped it over Bobrovsky and into the top of the net.

Then, with the period half over, Burakovsky had a defensive zone breakup to spark a rush toward Bobrovsky. Burakovsky then set up Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen’s goal in the slot, giving Washington a 3-0 lead.

Burakovsky injured his hand on Feb. 9 and then missed the next 15 games. Sunday marked his first goal since returning to the lineup eight games ago, and it was also his first multipoint game in that span. He nearly had a second goal Sunday when he beat Bobrovsky early in the third period, but Columbus defenseman David Savard swatted the puck away as it was trickling down the crease.

“It was kind of nice to get a goal again and get that feeling now when we’re closer to the playoffs,” Burakovsky said.

Columbus’ Jack Johnson cut into Washington’s lead in the third period with a dazzling goal, and fellow defenseman Kyle Quincey’s point shot made it a one-goal game with 4:27 left in the game. The Blue Jackets peppered Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby with 17 shots in the third period, but he made 35 saves for the win.

With Washington on a season-high five-game road trip, Columbus was the fourth stop in a fourth time zone in less than a week. In that game against the Coyotes, Holtby had allowed six goals, the first time he has done that since 2013. Before Sunday, Washington had allowed 13 goals in the past three games, uncharacteristic for a team that leads the NHL with the fewest goals allowed per game.