There's no denying the importance of Nic Dowd for the Washington Capitals.
The 34-year-old has played a vital role over the last seven years and counting, He has been the epitome of consistency on the ice, driving one of the NHL's most dominant fourth lines.
For Dowd, his play has been a testament to the work he's put in to establish his identity at the highest level.
"I strive to go and do the exact same thing every single night and get better," Dowd said. "The foundation of my game, it's pretty simple."
Though he defines his game as simple, his role isn't easy to fill. He's a physical presence, one that doesn't shy away from throwing his weight around or battling hard for the puck. He wins face-offs, locks things down defensively and is trusted with heavy minutes, while also killing penalties.
"He's always hard on pucks. We're getting a lot of D-zone starts, and that's not an easy task, especially as a centerman," Brandon Duhaime, who ranks Dowd as the best center he's played with so far in his career, said. "They got a ton of work to do down low and defending pucks and playing hard."
"As a goalie, you just got 100 percent trust, and you know he's gonna make the right play pretty much every single time," Charlie Lindgren noted.
Then, there's his offensive impact; he takes tremendous care of the puck, and he and his line are aggressive on the forecheck to the point where they can control play every shift they're on the ice.
"He brings it every single night," Tom Wilson said, adding, "He's one of our most consistent guys. He's actually got a lot of skill and makes a lot of plays."
Through 55 games this season, Dowd has 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points, and is on pace to hit 30 points for the first time in his career.
At the end of the day, though, Dowd values strong play over point production.
"I think that you know, some nights, you're going to have really, really good games and you're not going to show up on the scoresheet and some nights, you're going to have really, really good games and you're going to show up on the scoresheet."
Beyond his on-ice play, Dowd also leads by example off the ice. He is active in the community, embraces the role of being a "good teammate," serves as a vocal, beloved presence in the room and does his best to lead by example.
"He leaves his teammates in a better spot when he comes off the ice. He's always the first one to change in the o-zone, he's always the first one in on the battles," Wilson added. "He works extremely hard every single night."
Going into the back half of the season, Dowd, who earned Selke consideration last season, is looking forward to what could be a deep run for Washington come spring, and he's ready to continue to play the same way — and the right way, too.
