Capitals Locker Room: ‘No Nights Off,’ Dowd Jokes About Ovi After Win

WASHINGTON — In just 11 seconds, Nic Dowd turned a "stinker" of a start for the Washington Capitals into a brand new hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings, and an assist in overtime led to a big 4-3 victory.

Here's what he, Charlie Lindgren and more had to say after the victory.

Nic Dowd

On his back-to-back goals for the Capitals: “It was good. I think we came out in the second and we were playing well. I thought our power play did a good job starting off and we kind of felt the momentum, the crowd got into it a little bit and they were really eager, they were really good tonight. And I just happened to hop out kind of into a d-zone and they were changing and made a play to the middle and it’s a 4-on-3. So O made a nice play to me, and I was able to find the net. And then I mean, kind of a nothing play. We won the draw and dumped it in and Jens made a really, really good play backdoor. So you know, pretty simple.”

On getting wins with the playoff race in full swing: “Well yeah, it’s huge. Every single game from this point on is important to us. You know we don’t have the ability to take nights off, you know, truthfully, like we probably have in the past where we played really well early and every now and then you kind of have a stinker of a game, but tonight, the game, really every game going forward really matters. We’re trying to catch teams in the standings, we’re trying to separate ourselves, we’re trying to get into a playoff spot. You know, you name it. Every single night is really important to us.”

On Alex Ovechkin and his chances as he continues pursuit of Gordie Howe's record: “He was really good. Obviously a big leader of our team. I can’t believe a couple of those didn’t go in."

On if Ovechkin will score again: "Oh, yeah, he'll score another 100."

Charlie Lindgren

On the team's rally: "Loved it. I thought it was a great win for us. I thought we had a heck of a game. We had a lot of guys, I thought brought their A-game, threw a lot of pucks at the net, I thought we had a lot of chances and we put four in the net. We put for four in the net, we should win those games, so it's a big one."

On the Capitals' momentum: "We're certainly playing some good hockey, there's no doubt about it. We're finding ways to win games where I think earlier in the year, we let a couple slip away from us. Right now we're finding ways to — after that 60, 65 minutes — we're finding ways to get into that win column. So big wins, obviously we got no room for complacency or anything. We got to keep on pushing forward, every single guy, so we're certainly not where we want to be yet."

On not being too busy against Detroit: "Yeah, I think as a goalie, it's maybe a little bit tougher just because you see our guys buzzing, having all the chances — and that's a testament to our team, our team played fantastic. But yeah, just from our perspective, we just gotta stay in and just know that when the team needs you to make a big save, you gotta do it. Especially in games like that, where it's tight and where [Ville] Husso played really well for them, I thought. He didn't give us anything easy. So I just tried to stay in there, stay focused and battle as hard as I can."

Erik Gustafsson

On getting another goal Monday after his hat trick on Saturday: "It's always fun to score goal. That's what you want to do, and you want to help the team win. So it was obviously a good goal to tie it up in the third. But I think how we handle the game right now is how we've handled the last couple of games here. Finding ways to win games, too, it's incredible how this team is working together."

On getting contributions from different guys across the lineup beyond the top scorers: "Yeah, but I think it's just how this team is right now. We have a big group. It's not just all the big guys who are scoring. And this shows how we are as a team, and I think that brings our confidence up."

Nick Jensen

On the significance of this win for Washington: "We know that this is an important game. Every game is important right now when we're making a push into a playoff spot. But it's especially important when we can take down teams that are currently trying to climb the ladder ahead of us. So yeah, it's really important in games like these to make sure we get the two points."