Early in the first period of game two the Penguins took a hit as they saw one of their players sit for the remainder of the game. After a hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety, the punishment was far more severe.
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“This hit is forceful, unacceptably high and excessively late”, said the ruling. If the Penguins continue to play their game as they did last night, the Capitals are going to have a hard time winning this series.
The Capitals are upset with suggestions on Twitter that Orpik was trying to hurt Maatta.
Maatta’s injury has been named an upper-body injury. Coach Mike Sullivan said the team would probably have an update on Maatta’s status Monday.
“As you get later in the playoffs, goals are harder to come by, and when you have a power play that can win you games and you can have a penalty kill that can get you momentum and ultimately win you games”, Richards said, “it’s just a big part of the game”.
“Try to outplay them every game”, Trotz said. Washington is loaded across the board but they will have to spend the next three games without Brooks Orpik who has gone from a fan favourite while with the Pens to public enemy number one after singing with the Caps and now taking out new cornerstone player Olli Maata with a cheap shot in game two.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) goes up against Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen (2) right wing Justin Williams (14) during the first period of Game 2 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semifinals Saturday, April 30, 2016 in Washington. It’s expected Nate Schmidt will move up in the depth chart and play with John Carlson, Orpik’s usual defense partner. “There’s a little size difference, and I think Maatta was leaning over a little bit”. After the game Saturday night, he said he thought the hit was late and the type “everyone in hockey is trying to remove from the game”.
“You definitely have to worry about our guy first – he obviously didn’t look good”, Penguins winger Chris Kunitz said Monday morning. But, Trotz said, the defenseman is not a dirty player who would target another’s head. The Pittsburgh people know that. “He plays hard, but within the rules”.
The 29-year-old blueliner played solidly enough in two games against the Flyers but inadvertently caused a goal against in both – first in Game 4 when an interference penalty led to a Flyers power-play strike, and then in Game 5 when Philadelphia’s game-winner banked off his skate.
What’s surprising is that Orpik was given three games for it, considering he hasn’t been suspended since the 2005-06 season.
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The Penguins won the game 2-1 to tie the series at one game apiece.
