The Washington Capitals can probably expect to be without Brooks Orpik for at least Game 3 of their second round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The veteran defenseman has a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety Sunday after his hit that knocked Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta out of Game 2 and possibly longer.
Washington’s Brooks Orpik will have a hearing today for interference on Pittsburgh’s Olli Maatta.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 1, 2016
With a hearing called, a suspension is all but guaranteed in this situation. The only real question is how long will it be?
Here’s a look at the hit that triggered the hearing:
The hit was late, Orpik made contact with Maatta's head and there was an injury on the play. All of those things factored in, this kind of hit would be at least three games if this were the regular season.
It should have been a major and game misconduct in the game, but referees are rarely going to make that decision in the playoffs unless they’re absolutely certain of the severity of the infraction. So all Orpik got out of that was a minor penalty for interference.
The fact that it’s a tied series and there’s a lot of attention on this one, I’d be surprised if Orpik gets more than two games and even that seems extreme with the general leniency the department has shown this postseason. The standard on these types of hits shouldn't change, though. This is precisely what the league is trying to eradicate.
After the game, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan shared his honest thoughts on the hit (via the AP):
"I thought it was a late hit," Sullivan said. "I thought it was a target to his head. I think it's the type of hit that everyone in hockey is trying to remove from the game. That's how I saw it."
That’s how pretty much everyone saw it.
When Maatta got hit, he had already put a shot or a pass toward the net. It had already reached its intended target by the time Orpik actually made impact. He even veered off course to deliver the hit.
Orpik did not speak to the media to explain himself after the game. Here’s what Barry Trotz offered as part of his defenseman’s explanation for why he delivered the hit.
Trotz says he spoke to Orpik and Orpik told him he thought the puck was going to be there when he hit Maatta
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) May 1, 2016
That still doesn’t explain why he got Maatta in the head. Orpik has been known for hard body checks over the course of his career. There have been more than a few over the years where he was right on the borderline, too.
It has been a long time since he was suspended, though. Orpik received a three-game ban for his hit on Erik Cole that actually left the then-Carolina Hurricanes forward with a fractured neck in 2006.
Maatta’s status going forward is unknown, but Sullivan said he’s simply “out” for now. The Penguins did not reveal whether or not he was concussed, but he had a difficult time getting to the bench as he looked woozy while trying to get up.
The young blueliner who played some with Oprik during his rookie year could be a significant loss to the Penguins even if he hasn’t always looked his best this postseason. The Penguins had to finish the game with five defensemen, forcing Kris Letang to play 35-plus minutes in a regulation win.
What may be most disappointing about this hit, however, is that few should know better than Orpik the dangers of concussions. He was injured during the first-round series (an apparent, but never confirmed concussion) and was once knocked out cold on the ice by a gloved punch from then-Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton. He's obviously not thinking about his own concussion history when he's going out there and trying to hit guys, but it's a little disappointing it hasn't changed his checking habits. This was just completely unnecessary.
Orpik has a responsibility to check through the body there or avoid that contact all together. He chose neither and injured an opponent as a result.
Orpik is going to rightly sit out at least the Caps' next game, but it should be more than a single game. It is unclear when a decision will be rendered, but with the Capitals and Penguins set to play Game 3 Monday, it would be fair to expect a decision by the end of the day Sunday.
