Orpik says the Penguins are not doomed
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Brooks Orpik congratulates Chris Kunitz, center, and Pascal Dupuis, right, after a Kunitz goal against Tampa Bay in January.
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For a while, I thought defenseman Brooks Orpik's broken finger would be the injury that finally doomed the Penguins. Then, I talked to Orpik. He set me straight.
"It's been tough. By far, it's the worst I've ever seen," he said of the Penguins' long list of injuries. "It seems like every time you're waiting for someone to get back, you lose someone else.
"But the attitude of the team and the energy level in the room hasn't dipped at all. You would think guys might start feeling sorry for themselves. But that hasn't happened. I don't think it will happen with this team."
It didn't happen Saturday night, that's for sure. The Penguins fought back on the road from four deficits to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-5, in a shootout. It ended a 2-6-2 slide and was their most goals in regulation since Jan. 12, which is hardly a surprise considering they haven't had stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, not to mention Chris Kunitz and Mark Letestu, who returned against the Maple Leafs after missing 13 games with a knee injury.
"Guys are playing hard," Orpik said. "We're outplaying and outshooting teams, but the quality of shots and the quality of finishing aren't there. Just because you're asking guys to play more minutes doesn't mean they're going to be able to do more than they can do. They're giving everything they have."
Orpik planned to do dinner and watch the Toronto game with injured teammate Arron Asham. As entertaining as the game was, watching Orpik eat might have been more interesting. His right index finger was broken by a shot by San Jose's Patrick Marleau Wednesday night and is in a splint. He is right-handed, which means he has to do everything with his left hand.
"Putting in my contacts, brushing my teeth, stupid stuff like that takes time getting used to with your other hand."
Orpik knew he was in trouble the instant Marleau's shot got him. He skated immediately to the locker room. "Usually, you sit on the bench and shake it off for 20 or 30 seconds and wait for the pain to go away," he said. "This time was different. I was numb all the way up my arm. When I took my glove off 30 seconds later, the finger already was puffed out. It was just bad luck."
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma announced the next day that Orpik would be out four-to-six weeks. I've heard some say that seems like a long time for a broken finger because hockey players are known for ignoring pain and often don't miss a shift, let alone multiple games, because of a broken bone. Well, know this about Orpik: He's as tough as they come. He played on against Chicago Feb. 20 after a high stick from the Blackhawks' Patrick Sharp left his mouth oozing blood. Last season, he played through the playoffs with a tear in his abdominal wall that required surgery in June.
First Published February 28, 2011 12:00 am
