Prior to the season, Capitals’ center Nic Dowd was an unknown to the Caps, in terms of his playing ability and how effective he could replace longtime fourth-line center Jay Beagle, who departed the team in free agency. However, through the regular season and into the playoffs Dowd has been the recipient of a new, three-year contract and can now add his first career playoff goal to his career season. The best part: it came on a penalty shot.

After a career regular season in which he scored eight goals and recorded 22 points in 64 games played, the Caps rewarded Dowd with a three-year contract to show their faith in him as the team’s fourth-line center. But Dowd’s most memorable play of the season came during the third period of the Capitals’ 6-0 Game 5 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Sent off on a breakaway, Dowd’s stick was slashed in half by Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Dowd was awarded a penalty shot and with a neat fake, beat Hurricanes’ goalie Petr Mrazek to give the Caps a 5-0 lead.

Dowder finds the 5-hole on the penalty shot #ALLCAPS #CapsCanes pic.twitter.com/KIXCvI9ons

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 21, 2019

Per the Capitals, the goal is the first postseason penalty shot goal in franchise history and was Dowd’s first goal of the postseason (his first trip to the spring tournament in his career); the penalty shot was also the first since an attempt by Joe Juneau against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1996.

Nic Dowd gives the Caps a 5-0 lead with a penalty shot goal. It’s the first made penalty shot in franchise history during the playoffs.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 21, 2019

Previously, the Capitals had three penalty shot attempts, none successful, and that was the first penalty shot since Joe Juneau’s attempt against the Pittsburgh Penguins (goaltender: Ken Wregget) on April 24, 1996.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 21, 2019

Dowd is also the second player from Alabama to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, joining Jared Ross, who scored a goal for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010.

Most #StanleyCup goals, player born in Alabama:
1- Nic Dowd (tonight on a penalty shot)
1- Jared Ross (for PHL in 2010; never had a reg ssn goal) #ALLCAPS @NHLonNBCSports

— Eric Hornick (@ehornick) April 21, 2019

I’d like to buy a vowel! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/XP0Nvcdfnz

— Rudy Gersten (@DCBarno) April 21, 2019

The Capitals head to Carolina for Game 6 on Monday night at 7:00 P.M.

By Michael Fleetwood