Nic Dowd is the ideal bottom-line center and has been a great addition in DC.
56 | games played |
10.8 | time on ice per game |
7 | goals |
8 | assists |
54.7 | 5-on-5 shot-attempt percentage, adjusted |
58.0 | 5-on-5 expected goal percentage, adjusted |
61.9 | 5-on-5 goal percentage, adjusted |
About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows lots of information for the player over the season. A short description of each chart:
It took a while for it to click, but when it did, it was damn good. Nic Dowd was the fourth line’s mainstay all season, but he had varying company — as you can see from the first row of the hockeyviz graph above. The fourth line as we know it now — Hathaway, Dowd, and Panik — didn’t really play together until February, but when they did, awww yeah. In 47 minutes, that line owned 58 percent of shot attempts, 75 percent (!!!) of expected goals, and outscored opponents 4 to 1. That was by far the best iteration of that bottom line, and one of the best successes of the Washington Capitals during the regular season.
Here’s some genuine chemistry for you:
For five million dollars against the salary cap, Washington has a top-tier fourth line, and Dowd is at its heart.
Dowd also appears to be a penalty-kill star. In 138 minutes of PK time, he has been one of the chief factors (along with Jensen, Hathaway, and Kempny) in getting Washington’s penalty-killing unit up to elite status. Dowd scored three shorthanded goals– almost half of his overall goal production.
We’ve got at least two more years of Nic Dowd as a Washington Capital, and I’m psyched about it. I think he’s going to be a fan favorite real soon.
I’m torn on what to end this with. There are two clips, and they’re both great.
First, there’s Dowd just yeeting Svechnikov’s stick into the crowd — one of my absolute favorite plays of the season.
But then there’s also this, starring Arlo Dowd.
Stud.
What is there not to like about Nic Dowd? Nothing. He’s great. If only his last name were a breed of dog.
Read more: Japers Rink
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