The NHL’s Department of Player Safety will not issues any discipline for Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd for his brutal hit on Buffalo Sabres’ Eric Staal, according to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post.
Dowd hit Staal in third period in the open ice during the Capitals’ 6-4 win Thursday night. The hit floored Staal, who was visibly shaken. Staal immediately went to the locker room after being able to skate off the ice.
The Sabres took exception with the hit and a scrum broke out involving Buffalo players along with Dowd and his Capitals’ teammate Garnet Hathaway.
Dowd was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal hit to the head.
Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger said Staal is considered day-to-day. Krueger felt Dowd deserved more than two-minute minor penalty. Meanwhile Sabres’ defenseman Jake McCabe called the hit “pretty dirty.”
Fortunately for Nic Dowd he avoids any further discipline. The Capitals and Sabres skate against each other again Friday night.
