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Golden Knights’ Nic Dowd goes full scout on Hurricanes ahead of Stanley Cup Final
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- Golden Knights’ Nic Dowd goes full scout on Hurricanes ahead of Stanley Cup Final
Golden Knights' Nic Dowd goes full scout on Hurricanes ahead of Stanley Cup Final appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes are preparing to meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time ever — with Lord Stanley on the line.
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The Knights are familiar with this stage , having advanced to the Stanley Cup Final three times since entering the league in 2017-18 and winning it all in 2023. The Hurricanes are back for the first time in two decades after finally getting over the hump and returning to hockey's ultimate series with a dominant 12-1 record through three rounds.
Vegas has improved with each opponent, while Carolina has been dominant all year, capturing the Eastern Conference regular-season title before losing just one game on the way to the Finals.
Many around the hockey world view this series as a toss-up, and Golden Knights forward Nic Dowd — who spent nearly a decade in the Metropolitan Division with the Washington Capitals — summed up the challenge extremely well.
"They pressure all over the ice. They play man-to-man basically all over the sheet," Dowd told reporters over the weekend, including NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.
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"In the O-zone, when they have the puck, they want to take you on 1-on-1 and then they want to make plays. In the neutral zone they basically play man-on-man and their (defensemen) pinch up on the wingers. They do a great job producing turnovers. And then their forwards are great in transition. And I think their transition game, and their ability to shoot as many pucks as possible, makes them a good team.
"They create a lot of chances and create a lot of chaos. I think we're going to have to make them play down low in their D-zone and limit their chances in order to be successful."
Dowd has plenty of experience facing Carolina, unlike many of his teammates. He spent nearly a decade in the Metro with the Caps, and lost to the Hurricanes in the second round last season.
The 36-year-old joined Washington following its 2018 Stanley Cup victory, and nearly a decade later, he'll get his first opportunity to play in a Stanley Cup Final.
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Game 1 is set for Tuesday night at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, with puck drop scheduled for just after 8:00 p.m. ET.
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Related: 2 Golden Knights bold predictions for Stanley Cup Final vs. Hurricanes
