Alan, you can't defend your Stanley Cup title without first clinching a playoff spot. And as a result of a 3-2 win on the road, the Caps have clinched their playoff spot. And they did it going into an arena where the other team was playing very well over the course of this season. The Carolina Hurricanes have been dominating in the last half at home. And the Caps went in there. They were methodical. They played with confidence. They played with poise. And they had guys come through and be heroes tonight. And it was the third liners that helped win this game. More of a complete team than we've ever seen. And they're just starting to get things done. A little behind the scenes of our television broadcast. Whenever we do our mic checks, Alan and I always get to say, Dowd, Dowd. I don't know why we've adopted that, but we always say Dowd, Dowd, and it drives our producer, Ryan Billy, crazy. It's not annoying at all. Doud. Doud. Doud. Guess who was the hero tonight. Doud. Doud. How about that, Ryan, Billy? You guys sound like Muppet characters when you do it. Dow. We actually are being very sarcastic and it's all pointed at one very small person that we all work with. Dowd, Dowd, Dowd. But you know what? Level. Level. Level. Fourth line comes through. If you would, geez, Jensen to Dow to clinch a playoff berth, who drew that one up?

At the beginning of the season?

Whatever works, man.

St. Cloud State Pride gets it done and the caps are in the playoffs.

I'm Rob Carlin, the Capitol's Talk podcast, starts now.

Jensen towards a goal deflection.

Score!

Nick Dowd!

Great keep in by Jensen and just firing it along the ice and Dowd a hard net drive,

and he gets it off the heel, and that'll lose the goaltender stick billy you're exactly right

a nick jensen wasn't on the team at the beginning of the season and nick dowd was a guy they signed

off the street a dude from alabama right so to think that those two end up being the guys who

you know worked together to clinch the playoff spot and these

guys went to college together. They were in each other's weddings. Their wives or friends. It

feels fitting that that's how it would be. But if you're talking about sort of the way in your head,

the caps clinch a playoff spot to defend their Stanley Cup title you're probably

thinking ovi scoring is 50th or connelly's goal that was the best goal he's ever scored the prettiest

goal he's ever scored in his life but instead it's jenton throwing a puck on net and somehow

doubt getting it through mackalany. Normally I would agree with you.

That would be the script that you'd want.

Ovi getting 50 clitches playoff, birth rides off to Tampa.

That's the storybook thing.

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