Yet the instant the Washington Capitals defenceman made contact with Pittsburgh defenceman Olli Maatta’s head early in Game 2 on Saturday night, Orpik knew he had crossed a sometimes vague line between aggressive and illegal.
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Orpik is one of four Caps defensemen trusted by head coach Barry Trotz to play more than 20 minutes a night and to see significant ice time when Washington is shorthanded.
But Washington Capitals players and coaches defended Brooks Orpik, saying he is not a dirty player.
The number of hits the Washington Capitals have tried to level on the Pittsburgh Penguins through two contentious games in the Eastern Conference semifinals is not a surprise.
“I think I’m prepared, we’ve been working hard, the guys who haven’t been playing”, Schultz said Sunday.
In the Penguins-Capitals series alone, the officials missed the knee-on-knee hit by the Capitals’ Tom Wilson on the Penguins’ Conor Sheary in Game 1. We have had periods but not 60-minute games.
Orpik later in Game 2 also knocked the helmet off Letang’s head.
“There’s kind of a code of conduct that you need to have out there and respect for other guys”, Pittsburgh defenseman Trevor Daley said.
The Capitals could turn back to Russian defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who was a healthy scratch in Game 2 after a defensive miscue led to a Penguins goal in Game 1, or to big Mike Weber, a Pittsburgh native they acquired at the trade deadline from the Buffalo Sabres. The Capitals will be without one of their core defenseman for three crucial playoff games, but there’s no better time to send a message that high hits, regardless of intent and regardless of the stakes, will be tolerated. But, it’s a sure bet players and teams around the league will be more mindful of high hits. Pittsburgh was 39-0-0 when leading through two periods in the 2015-16 campaign and 4-0-0 in the playoffs. May. However, just two games into the series, that has already changed. “I think he has done a pretty good job of moving the puck quickly when there is not a play to be made”.
Orpik was given a two-minute minor penalty for interference. Does three games for Orpik satisify that on this play? “We’ll let the league handle it. If you know anything about Brooks, he plays hard”. Jonathon Drouin scored his first playoff goal to lift the Lightning in their 4-1 win in game 2. Now we definitely have a better idea.
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It beats the alternative: losing their cool and letting Washington star Alexander Ovechkin swoop menacingly in the left circle waiting for the puck with at least one Penguin or more in the penalty box. Orpik has a hearing Sunday and could face a suspension.
