Give Penguins 'D' an A
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It's not just about goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, Brooks Orpik was saying Sunday, although he acknowledged Fleury will give the Penguins their best shot at a deep playoff run in the next month or two or three.
"It's the back end. That's a lot more solid," Orpik said. "It's the seven guys we have on 'D.' Those guys have been playing really great."
That defensive unit became whole again when Orpik returned to the Penguins' lineup in their 2-1 shootout victory against the Florida Panthers after missing 13 games with a broken right index finger. Just in time, too. The playoffs start in a little more than two weeks. The Penguins are going to need Orpik. Big time.
"He just means so much to us in so many ways," coach Dan Bylsma said.
Orpik's teammates proved that by giving him their highest honor -- the Players' Player Award -- despite the fact he has missed 19 games this season, including six in October when he had a groin issue. It's the only team award voted on by the players. That makes it the most significant, if you ask me.
"It's not a popularity contest by any means," Bylsma said. "It's about respect and the way you carry yourself every day. It's about being a professional."
"The ultimate compliment," Orpik called it.
Orpik, who immediately was given back his "A" as alternate captain, played nearly 21 minutes against the Panthers and was paired with Kris Letang. He was a minus-one because he was on the ice for Florida's only goal. He had four hits and helped kill the Panthers' two power plays.
Neither Orpik's hits nor his penalty-kill work came as a surprise. He has long been known as a physical player and he is at his best when the Penguins are short-handed. I've got the numbers to back it up. Orpik has 181 hits, second-most on the team behind Matt Cooke (192) despite missing almost a quarter of the season. The team's penalty-killing unit has an 88.3 percent success rate with him in the lineup, 79.7 percent without him. Those numbers are hard to ignore.
"I thought his timing and skating looked good today," Bylsma said of Orpik.
Orpik figures his game will get much better once he settles back in. Sitting out since taking a shot by San Jose's Patrick Marleau off his right hand Feb. 23 wasn't all bad. "I don't have the aches you usually have this time of year when you've got to just grind it out," he said. "I wasn't getting hit for a month. I got four good [weight] lifts in each week and skated five or six times a week in the morning. My body feels great."
First Published March 28, 2011 12:00 am
