Appreciating Nicklas Backstrom and Anthony Mantha's debut week with the Caps

"It's not a dream, it's not a desert mirage, it's Lord Stanley and he is coming to Washington!" 2018 was a magical year for the Washington Capitals, and in this season finale of "Told It Here!", Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin look back at those magical four series starting with Columbus, ending in Las Vegas and how Alex Ovechkin and his longtime teammates finally reached the ultimate prize. And for Joe and Craig, sharing their perspective on celebrating the moment separately after sharing so many moments together in the broadcast booth. A fitting completion to this debut season of "Told It Here!", thanks for listening.

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When the Capitals finally reached the mountaintop in 2018 and won their first ever Stanley Cup, it completed a 44-year journey that started in 1974. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have been there for so many of the team's great postseason moments but also their heartbreaking disappointments. In Episode 5 of "Told It Here!", Joe B and Locker build up to that triumphant 2018 postseason - by remembering the likes of Dale Hunter, John Druce, Kolzig and Juneau in the magical spring of '98, Ovechkin's first taste, Joel Ward and all of the rivalries that were built through playoff hockey with the Pens, Rangers and Isles. This episode will remind you why the end of the journey felt so good.

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Over 25 years as a play-by-pay tandem, Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have seen some things. In this episode 4 of "Told it Here!", Joe and Craig discuss some of their favorites in a host of categories, including favorite players, coaches, moments, and road cities. But as much as they agree on some things, they don't agree on many others, including the choice of dining establishments on the road, and loving beer vs wine. Hear about Craig's first encounter with future teammate Dale Hunter, stories about the "Ice Cheetah", "Gabby" and "Kono" and why does everyone like to pick on Joe? This is episode is filled with 25 years of fun.

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In Episode 3 of "Told it Here!" Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin reminisce about one of the most exciting times in Caps history, the birth of the "Rock the Red" era in Washington, which has lived on at Verizon Center ever since. But before they relive the fun times, they look back at the tougher times that led to the drafting of Alex Ovechkin and everything that has happened since. You'll hear stories about the day Jaromir Jagr was traded, why Mel Anglestad was a highlight of the 2003-04 season, and how Bruce Boudreau's arrival ignited the Caps' resurgence. Later, Joe and Craig discuss many of the highlights of that time, including Sergei Fedorov's series-winner against the Rangers.

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To reach 25 years as a broadcasting duo, there has to be a beginning. In Episode 2 of "Told It Here!", Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin go back in time to discuss the paths they took to get to the broadcast booth together. Starting off with a story about how Locker went from his playing career to a new career as an analyst, into a conversation about the early years and working together. Later, more discussion about the players, coaches and "the men and women in the technical crew" who have been along for the ride and have made these years so special.

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Since 2005, Alex Ovechkin has been the face of the franchise for the Washington Capitals, and Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have had the privilege to witness his achievements first-hand for that entire time. In this debut episode of "Told it Here!", Joe and Craig look back at those 17 years from the beginning and his dynamic first game, all of the major milestones Alex has reached, and the long road to winning the team's 1st-ever Stanley Cup. Plus, Alex himself joins the guys from the road to help celebrate Joe and Craig's 25 years together as well (24:05). If you love the Great 8, this first episode of "Told it Here!" is for you.

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Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin are celebrating 25 seasons of calling Washington Capitals hockey in the nation's capital, and to help commemorate that achievement, NBC Sports Washington presents "Told It Here!", a limited-edition podcast that will cover many of the major moments of the franchise since they began calling games as a pair. Within the 6-episode series, Joe and Craig will discuss having a front-row (or broadcast booth) seat to the amazing career of Alex Ovechkin (with a visit from the captain himself); how their own career paths converged onto television; their favorite games, players, moments and other memorable stories; how the Rock the Red era changed hockey in D.C. forever; and of course the long, sometimes painful chase of the Stanley Cup, which finally ended in 2018 with the team's 1st-ever championship. So sit back with a beer or a glass of wine and join Joe and Craig on a trip down memory lane, like you have for Caps games for the past 25 seasons.

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The Caps' postseason came to a sudden end and now face an uncertain future. Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan look back at what went wrong against the Bruins but then turn the page to the questions that need to be answered this offseason, starting with the expiring contract of Alex Ovechkin, the expansion draft and how the Caps try to retool their roster into a contender.

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After 2 thrilling overtime games to start Round 1 of the playoffs, the series heads back to Boston even at 1-1... Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan discuss the play of Craig Anderson, how significant the injury to Lars Eller may be, and then welcome in Joe Haggerty of BostonHockeyNow.com to discuss the series from Boston's side of things. Find out why Tom Wilson and Brad Marchand aren't that dissimilar and why no one in Boston is ever happy with Tuukka Rask.

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The Caps are shipping off to Boston... well, at least for games 3&4. But first, the 1st round series with the Bruins opens in DC Saturday night, and JJ Regan and Nick Ashooh have many questions about how this series will play out and what the Caps need to happen to make a long playoff run. Starting with the latest on Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov, and a deep dive into Vitek Vanacek as the #1 goalie, and whose style of play will dictate the outcome.

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