Nic Dowd could be getting a call from the Department of Player Safety in the near future.

Late in the third period of the Capitals’ season opener against the Sabres, Dowd skated laterally across the neutral zone to deliver a bodycheck to Eric Staal.

The thought was there, but the execution was off.

Video

As Dowd goes for Staal’s shoulder, the Capitals center’s back appears to make contact with Staal’s head. The veteran center would leave the game and not return.

Dowd hits Staal in the head pic.twitter.com/Fnztvqur6j

— Ben Mathewson (Optimistic Sabres Fan) (@Ben_Mathewson) January 15, 2021

Dowd was only given a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head.

After the game, Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger announced that Staal is day-to-day. He believed Dowd’s hit deserved more than a minor penalty per Bill Hoppe.

1/15 update: The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell is reporting that Dowd will be spared any supplemental discipline because there “was no clear evidence the head was the main point of contact.”

Being told DoPS will not issue any discipline for Nic Dowd’s hit on Eric Staal last night. There was no clear evidence the head was the main point of contact.

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) January 15, 2021

RMNB Coverage of Caps at Sabres

Screenshot courtesy of MSG