Nic Dowd After Monarchs Game 4 Victory, One Step Closer to Calder Cup Championship

The Manchester Monarchs are one win away from the Calder Cup Championship after an impressive 6-3 victory in Game 4 in Utica.  Nic Dowd, one of the LA Kings top-10 rated prospects, had a two goal game for the Monarchs and after the game he spoke with MayorsManor correspondent Andy Tonge…

On the overall game for the Monarchs:

“I thought we did a really good job getting pucks in behind their defenseman.  I think we skated, we used our speed, which we didn’t do two nights ago.  Obviously they out shot us, I think by 15, almost 20 shots in the first.  Tonight it was a little bit more even and I thought we did a good job keeping the crowd out of it, which in crucial in a great building.  We played very well.  I just thought we capitalized on our opportunities.”

On whether or not Nic Dowd sees himself as a clutch player:

“Nah, I don’t know.  I think it’s my first year, it’s my first playoffs so I think I have a long way from being a clutch player.  I think tonight I just found myself in the right play in the right time and the puck just happened to find the back of the net.  It could have been any one of us.”

On how it felt to score two goals:

“Obviously it feels great to help the team out in any way possible.  I think the 5-on-3 felt really great too.  Bodnarchuk and LoVerde did a good job out there.  I think we have a lot of guys who can score goals on our team.”

On being in his rookie season and being close to winning the Calder Cup:

“Obviously I think we’re going to take tonight, rest up, get back to neutral and get a good meal in us, get some sleep.  It’s going to be a quick turn around and this building is going to be rocking tomorrow night.  Put ourselves in a good situation, that’s really all I can say. ”

On not buying into Utica’s chippy play late in the game:

“It’s much easier to keep your head when you have a lead.  I think if the roles are reversed like they were other night, obviously it’s much easier to get heated when your the team that’s down.  They played really well tonight, and there’s going to be extra curricular activities in playoff hockey.  This is my first one, but we’ve kind of seen it through the last four rounds, stuff like this happens.”

On the challenges of winning the fourth game:

“It’s going to be a war, not that the last two weren’t.  I think, to end a team’s season is the hardest thing in sports.  The game tomorrow is going to be a battle.”

What did coach Mike Stothers have to say after the game? Click here for his quotes. Also, we have Adrian Kempe’s postgame thoughts posted here.

.@jimmydowder26 streaks right on in and beats Markstrom high glove to make it 5-2. #MCHvsUTI pic.twitter.com/NhOZ6fi1qi

— AHL (@TheAHL) June 13, 2015