Orpik was penalized two minutes for interference on the play, but rightly the National Hockey League cracked down on the risky play. The veteran Washington Capitals coach even seemed to make a fairly strong accusation against how the process was handled by the NHL’s department of player safety.
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Maatta suffered the injury at the hands of Capital’s defensemen Brooks Orpik during game two in Washington D.C.
Fans can watch what should be a pivotal Game 3 on NBC Sports Network beginning at 8:00 PM EST. “I just think overall with this group, I’ve seen the maturity”.
Washington coach Barry Trotz said he spoke with Orpik. Note that a reunion does not necessarily mean that Lovejoy will take on more minutes (he probably won’t) but it makes sense in terms that Dumoulin and Lovejoy had success together earlier in the season.
“I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised based on who we’re playing and all of that”, Trotz said. Some nights the puck just finds ways in, some nights maybe those don’t go in. He said he wouldn’t reveal the content of their discussion, but Orpik said the fact that they were friends made the situation tougher.
“But the one thing about [Thornton] is that anybody who knows him personally knows he’s a pretty honest player and a pretty honest person and if he said he really regretted it and felt bad, he really did”. Mike Weber, Washington’s eighth defensemen down the stretch, or Dmitry Orlov, recently benched by Trotz, will slot into the lineup in Orpik’s stead.
Eric Fehr, who is a former Capital is looking to help his new team, the Penguins, beat his old team in this series.
The NHL has actually been praised in some circles for this suspension because of the belief that it is “sending a message” that hits like this will not be tolerated regardless of whether or not it it is the playoffs, and that players should be taking notice of it.
When asked to explain his meaning, Trotz said: “Take it for whatever you want”.
The Capitals are upset with suggestions on Twitter that Orpik was trying to hurt Maatta.
“I was in a similar spot two weeks ago”, Orpik told the Washington Post. “I thought it was a target to his head”, Sullivan said after the game”.
Sullivan declined to comment on what what should happen to Orpik.
The Sharks turned a pair of power-play chances into goals in a five-goal third period that gave them a 5-2 victory over the Predators in Game 1 of their series. “He’s a leader and a good guy, a good honest guy”.
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Wilson added that he is “no stranger” to remarks about his play, especially when it comes to the playoffs, but said that “it pisses me off a little bit more when they’re going after my teammates”.
