Nick Dowd will finally play for a chance to have his name inscribed on the Stanley Cup. Vegas easily handled the Colorado Avalanche in a 4-0 sweep (I’m as shocked as everyone else) and will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals. That means there’s just one former Capital left who can still win the Cup. Dowd signed with the Caps in the summer of 2018 after they won the Stanley Cup, beating Vegas 4 games to 1. Dowd replaced Jay Beagle, a home grown fourth line stud and fan favorite. I was upset when the Caps didn’t resign Beags, but they couldn’t have found a better player to take over for no. 83.
Dowd is a gamer, not afraid to get in the face of opposing players, plays great defense, and was a leader in the Caps locker room. A lot of us were heartbroken when he was traded at the deadline with a year left on his contract. With the Caps getting younger and looking to add more skill to the lineup for next season, and the emergence of Justin Sourdif and the solid of Hendrix Lapierre, Dowd became expendable.
You would think I’d be pulling for Vegas, but I’ll be rooting for the Canes. I just can’t stand Vegas. No offense to Vegas fans (I have family out in the desert), but I have a deep-seated dislike for their team. I took it personally when Vegas made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first year under former Caps general manager George McPhee. They were the most successful expansion franchise in modern sports history. Why? Because the Washington Capitals were the worst expansion team in modern sports history in 1974, their first year in the NHL. If the Caps had lost to Vegas and McPhee it would have added another disappointing chapter to the franchise’s history. I am still not over it even though the Caps beat Vegas and won their first Stanley Cup. I also think their colors are ugly and a lame name. If they dropped the “Golden” it would be bad a**. (Vegas should take a hint from Anaheim, who dropped “Mighty” from their name, which was the right call.) Old wounds take time to heal and leave scars. It’s even easier to root against them with John Tortorella behind the bench.
I don’t like John Tortorella, but I love Torts because he’s so easy to hate. His antics are legendary, his volatility volcanic. Who could forget this incident in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs in Washington? It’s part of his coaching process and it is very effective, ewven thought he comes across as a whack job. But you can't deny that he is good at his job. Tortorella is a winner, a great coach, and actually, I admire him. (I can’t believe I just admitted that publicly.) With that said, I love to root against him. This doesn’t mean I’m a Canes fan. Far from it. I have to admit I have a ton of respect for Rod Brind’Amour. Besides, how can anyone root against the former Hartford Whalers?
So, Go Canes! And if Vegas wins their second Cup (yuck) I will be really happy for Dowder. If anyone deserves to have his name on the Cup, it’s him, even if it means Torts gets his name on there for a second time.
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