Washington Capitals Center Nic Dowd has been one of the Capitals’ most important players, centering a fourth-line that has been effective from the start of the season, while also blossoming in the faceoff dot under new Player Development Coach Michael Peca. In the Capitals’ March 30 matchup against the New York Rangers, the St. Cloud State Product added another impressive anecdote to his 2020-21 season.

In the first period of the Caps’ battle at Madison Square Garden, Dowd buried his seventh goal of the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, on assists from Garnet Hathaway and Brendon Dillon at the 4:22 mark of the first frame.

Huzzzahhh! Another one pic.twitter.com/ASU706YMIJ

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 30, 2021

The goal matched Dowd’s total from 2019-20, in which he scored seven goals and eight assists in 56 Games Played. By scoring his seventh goal in 2020-21 in his 35th game, Dowd matched the total in 21 fewer games. Dowd now has seven goals and two assists for nine points.

Nic Dowd scores his seventh goal of the season to give the Capitals a 2-0 lead. With the goal, Dowd has matched his goal total from last season in 21 fewer games.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) March 30, 2021

His career-high in goals came in his first season in Washington (2018-19), in which he scored eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 64 Games Played. Dowd has emerged as one of the league’s elite faceoff men this season, entering the game against New York ranked eighth having won 56.9% of his faceoffs taken. Additionally, he has won 61.8% of his draws since February 16, the third-highest total among skaters with at least 300 faceoffs. Through two periods against the Blueshirts, Dowd had won 7/10 (70%).

By Michael Fleetwood