How Nic Dowd became Spencer Carbery's unexpected shootout pick against Detroit

"Charlie Lindgren had just injured himself at the end of overtime, stretching out to make a save on a last-second shot by defenseman Moritz Seider. As the ailing goaltender wobbled back near the bench ahead of the decisive shootout, he told backup Clay Stevenson, who was preparing to go into the 3-3 game, that he would tough it out for the skills competition."

"From the outside, Nic Dowd would be a perplexing choice. The Capitals' 35-year-old checking-line center is a defensive-shutdown forward whose career high in goals is 14, set last season. Dowd has lit the lamp just 87 times in his 629 career games, and he had never scored a shootout goal coming into the evening. He's known more for his acumen in the faceoff dot than his playmaking ability near the net."

Charlie Lindgren injured himself at the end of overtime stretching to save Moritz Seider's shot and told backup Clay Stevenson he would tough it out for the shootout. Capitals coach Spencer Carbery and assistants debated the shootout lineup while he repeatedly heard that Nic Dowd had to be in the top three. Dowd is a 35-year-old checking-line center with a 14-goal career high and 87 goals in 629 games, known for faceoff acumen rather than shootout scoring. The Capitals had lost all five prior shootouts and were on a poor road trip. Dowd scored earlier after two big hits and practiced a finish in team sessions.

Read at RMNB