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Nic Dowd sets new career high in goals with 14 games left to go in season

By Katie Adler

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March 15, 2023 9:45 am

Nic Dowd continued his excellent season Tuesday night.

The fourth-line center scored his 12th goal of the season setting a new career high.

The milestone goal came in the second half of the third period after Dowd put a shot on net from the left circle just after the expiration of Washington’s power play. Though Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin stopped the initial shot, Dowd caught the rebound to send the puck into the net.

The goal brought the Capitals within one of the New York Rangers in what became a 5-3 loss.

Dowd’s previous record came in the 2020-21 season, when he scored 11 goals in 56 games. He now has 12 in 53, with 14 games left to go in the season. He now stands one away from tying his career high in points, which he set with 23 points in the 2021-22 season.

Tuesday’s goal was Dowd’s first in 14 games and his first since longtime linemate Garnet Hathaway was traded to the Boston Bruins before the trade deadline. Dowd’s last tally came on January 3 in an overtime loss against the Buffalo Sabres.

On an inconsistent Capitals roster, Dowd has remained solid on the fourth line. Despite often matching up against stronger opponents, the Capitals have slightly out-chanced their opponents with Dowd on the ice at even strength, 257-240. He’s also a vital part of the team’s penalty kill, regularly serving on the first PK unit.

After playing his 400th career NHL game on December 9th, Dowd had an especially hot streak starting in late December. He scored nine points in 10 games between December 19th and January 11th, beginning with a three-point night where he scored twice in 11 seconds and assisted on the OT winner.

Dowd’s record year comes in the first season of a three-year contract extension he signed in November 2021. Dowd is signed to an AAV of $1.3 million through 2024-25.

As an extra bonus, Dowd’s record-setting tally Tuesday night came during the NHL’s “Big City Greens Classic,” meaning we also get to see Dowd’s goal in cartoon form. The animated Dowd scores against Big City Greens’ Gramma Alice (substituting in for Igor Shesterkin), and the goal is met with fireworks, which was appropriate in this regard.

Congratulations, Nic!

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