- Nic Dowd reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in his career after Vegas swept Colorado
- The deadline pickup from Washington assisted on Cole Smith’s series-clinching goal in Game 4
- Read below for Dowd’s emotional postgame reaction and what the run means for the Alabama-born center
Nic Dowd is going to the Stanley Cup Final.
For the first time in his NHL career, the veteran center will play for hockey’s biggest prize. The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up a stunning sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night, and Dowd had a front-row seat to it all. He assisted on Cole Smith’s series-clinching goal in a 2-1 Game 4 win at T-Mobile Arena.
After the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl presentation, Dowd waved up to his family in the crowd. Then he stepped to the podium and tried to put the moment into words.
“I mean, obviously, I’ve never been a part of something like this, right? There’s some people up there that mean a lot to me up there in the crowd that were there. Quite honestly, they’re sacrificing a lot for me to live my dream right now. So, yeah, I mean, it means a lot. But I think, you know, we have a lot left to do here.”
Watch the full Game 4 postgame from Dowd and his teammates:
Getting dealt at this year’s deadline stung. Dowd had spent the last seven-plus seasons in Washington and grown into one of the league’s most respected fourth-line pivots. Vegas sent Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick to the Capitals to get him.
The Huntsville-area native is now in rare company. Dowd becomes just the second player born in Alabama to make a Stanley Cup Final, joining Jared Ross, who was a black ace on the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers. When he hits the ice in Game 1, he’ll be the first Alabamian to actually play in one.
He’s done exactly what Vegas hoped he would. Five points in 20 playoff games, 11:46 of ice time a night, and the kind of defensive-zone shifts most centers want no part of. Even with 78 percent of his starts in his own end at five-on-five, the Knights have out-chanced opponents while he’s been on the ice.
The series-clincher was vintage Dowd. He dug a puck loose along the wall and fed Dylan Coghlan at the point. Coghlan ripped it. Smith tipped it through Mackenzie Blackwood at 14:15 of the third for a 2-0 lead.
John Tortorella made a point of calling out the fourth line after.
“Your stars are going to be stars, but to keep advancing and to get to the situation where you’re now playing in the fourth round, playing for the Cup, those other pieces have to come together.”
Vegas now waits on the East, where Carolina holds a 2-1 lead on Montreal. Either way, Dowd is getting his first.
