The Washington Capitals played with a short bench Tuesday night for the second game in a row. Just three days after Martin Fehervary exited early against the Montreal Canadiens, Nic Dowd saw his night cut short when he sustained an upper-body injury against the New Jersey Devils.
Dowd left the ice late in the first period and did not return to the bench for the second. The Capitals soon confirmed he would not return to the game.
The injury may have come just two minutes into the contest, when Dowd took a hit up high from Devils forward Timo Meier. The collision knocked Dowd’s helmet off but went unpenalized, much to Dowd’s chagrin.
After the hit, Dowd continued to play for much of the period before cutting his final shift short with 2:00 remaining before first intermission. He ended the night with 6:20 total TOI.
Dowd previously missed nine games to an upper-body injury early in the campaign. In 44 games this season, he has recorded 16 points (8g, 8a), including a three-game point streak before Tuesday night.
Besides causing the loss of one of their most reliable centers, Dowd’s injury could prove troublesome the Capitals trade deadline strategy. The 33-year old forward has attracted significant attention on the trade market, but with less than three weeks remaining before the March 8 deadline, an extended injury could throw cold water on any potential deal.
Update (10:20 pm): Spencer Carbery offered a brief update on Dowd’s status after the game. “Upper-body,” he said. “We’ll evaluate tomorrow.”
