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Capitals ready to welcome back a leader as Brooks Orpik nears return Capitals ready to welcome back a leader as Brooks Orpik nears return
(about 4 hours later)
ST. PAUL, Minn. — It was a routine practice drill. Brooks Orpik skated up the ice, trailing Evgeny Kuznetsov. As Kuznetsov neared the opposite end of the rink, he glanced behind for Orpik, who had suddenly slowed. Orpik’s frustration was clear: He turned back to the bench, stepped off the ice and tossed off his gloves. As he started to walk back to the locker room, he slammed his stick against the wall. ST. PAUL, Minn. — It was a routine practice drill. Brooks Orpik skated up the ice, trailing Evgeny Kuznetsov. As Kuznetsov neared the opposite end of the rink, he glanced behind for Orpik, who had slowed suddenly. Orpik’s frustration was clear: He turned back to the bench, stepped off the ice and tossed off his gloves. As he started to walk back to the locker room, he slammed his stick against the wall.
That was Dec. 7, nearly a month after Orpik had last played in a game for the Washington Capitals. He had suffered what the Capitals said was a lower-body injury Nov. 10. That was Dec. 7, nearly a month after Orpik had last played in a game for the Washington Capitals. He had suffered what the Capitals said was a lower-body injury Nov. 10.
“I was just sort of waiting for things to improve, and they weren’t,” Orpik said. “They started going backwards. Finally, it deteriorated to a point that I literally couldn’t even push off skating. When I couldn’t do that, it was just pointless trying to battle through that.“I was just sort of waiting for things to improve, and they weren’t,” Orpik said. “They started going backwards. Finally, it deteriorated to a point that I literally couldn’t even push off skating. When I couldn’t do that, it was just pointless trying to battle through that.
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“I kind of just realized that if I continued to skate on it or continued to do stuff on it, it wasn’t going to heal. It was just going to get worse.”“I kind of just realized that if I continued to skate on it or continued to do stuff on it, it wasn’t going to heal. It was just going to get worse.”
That day was the last team practice Orpik would participate in until Feb. 2, when players tapped their sticks on the ice and cheered his return. After 38 games missed, Orpik’s return to the lineup is imminent, potentially against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday or the Dallas Stars on Saturday. That day was the last team practice Orpik would participate in until Feb. 2, when players tapped their sticks on the ice and cheered his return. After he missed 38 games, Orpik’s return to the lineup is imminent, potentially against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday or the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Even if Orpik doesn’t play Thursday, Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said the defenseman might still take warmups before the game as a way for him to get reacquainted with a game-day routine. When he is back in the lineup, the 35-year-old won’t immediately return to the top defensive pairing. Trotz said Orpik will start on the third pair — likely beside Dmitry Orlov — as a way to monitor his minutes after not playing for three months. Even if Orpik doesn’t play Thursday, Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said the defenseman still might take warmups before the game as a way for him to get reacquainted with a game-day routine. When he is back in the lineup, the 35-year-old won’t immediately return to the top defensive pairing. Trotz said Orpik will start on the third pair — likely beside Dmitry Orlov — as a way to monitor his minutes after not playing for three months.
“He looks good,” Trotz said. “He’s strong. He was strong when we first got him and he’s really strong right now. That’s a positive. Whenever he feels comfortable, jump right in.” “He looks good,” Trotz said. “He’s strong. He was strong when we first got him, and he’s really strong right now. That’s a positive. Whenever he feels comfortable, jump right in.”
After Orpik left that December practice early, he had more tests done on his injured bone. Trotz had initially said it was “nothing serious,” and though Orpik never needed surgery, the realization that he wouldn’t be able to play through it forced him to consider a different recovery path. The bone would need eight weeks to completely heal, so Orpik had to stop skating for five weeks. After Orpik left that December practice early, he had more tests done on his injured bone. Trotz had initially said it was “nothing serious,” and though Orpik never needed surgery, the realization that he wouldn’t be able to play through it forced him to consider a different recovery path. The bone needed eight weeks to completely heal, so Orpik had to stop skating for five weeks.
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As a policy, the Capitals do not disclose the specific nature of injuries and prohibit their players from doing so as well.As a policy, the Capitals do not disclose the specific nature of injuries and prohibit their players from doing so as well.
Until this season, Orpik had been relatively durable, playing at least 63 games in every non-lockout season of his career since his first full campaign in 2003-04. Being forced to stay off the ice for five weeks was new to him. Even in the summer, he’d be training to get ready for the next season. The only positive was getting to spend more time with his young daughter. Until this season, Orpik had been relatively durable, playing at least 63 games in every non-lockout season of his career since his first full campaign in 2003-04. Being forced to stay off the ice for five weeks was new to him. Even in the summer, he would be training to get ready for the next season. The only positive was getting to spend more time with his young daughter.
“She’s probably wondering where I am because I haven’t been away from her in about two months,” Orpik said.“She’s probably wondering where I am because I haven’t been away from her in about two months,” Orpik said.
Like any fan of the team, he was happy to see the Capitals cruise to a league-best 39-9-4 record — the 39 wins marking the most through a team’s first 52 games in NHL history. That Washington only lost five games in regulation in the three months Orpik was out put less pressure on him to rush his recovery. The Capitals showed they could win without him, but they still missed the alternate captain and respected locker room veteran. Like any fan of the team, he was happy to see the Capitals cruise to a league-best 39-9-4 record — the 39 wins marking the most through a team’s first 52 games in NHL history. That Washington only lost five games in regulation in the three months Orpik was out put less pressure on him to rush his recovery. The Capitals showed they could win without him, but they still missed the alternate captain and respected locker room veteran.
“He’s physical, so it changes the way other teams play when he’s out there,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “If other teams aren’t wheeling around as freely, then we have more opportunity to do stuff.”“He’s physical, so it changes the way other teams play when he’s out there,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “If other teams aren’t wheeling around as freely, then we have more opportunity to do stuff.”
“I miss going to dinner with him a lot,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “He’s usually got the best places.”“I miss going to dinner with him a lot,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “He’s usually got the best places.”
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Orpik missed them, too, and that was the worst part about being injured. Even when he started skating again, he was on an opposite schedule from the rest of his teammates, coming in early for treatment, usually before other players arrived. He’d then skate with strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish before the team practiced. He’d make an effort to spend time with teammates away from the rink, but it wasn’t the same. Orpik missed them, too, and that was the worst part about being injured. Even when he started skating again, he was on an opposite schedule from the rest of his teammates, coming in early for treatment, usually before other players arrived. He then would skate with strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish before the team practiced. He would make an effort to spend time with teammates away from the rink, but it wasn’t the same.
When the team was traveling and Orpik often stayed back in Washington, his phone would be buzzing with updates from the team’s group text message. Some of it was hard to follow without being there, and he’d often wake up in the morning to a string of texts and not understand half of them. When the team was traveling and Orpik often stayed back in Washington, his phone would be buzzing with updates from the team’s group text message. Some of it was hard to follow without being there, and he often would wake up in the morning to a string of texts and not understand half of them.
“You feel involved at least a little bit,” Orpik said. “I could have lived without all of the updates on where all of the meals are and bus times and stuff like that.”“You feel involved at least a little bit,” Orpik said. “I could have lived without all of the updates on where all of the meals are and bus times and stuff like that.”
Alzner said the team had a “mini-celebration” when Orpik joined them on their current three-game road trip, cheering him just as players had when he started practicing with them again. There are fewer steps left for him to take now, all signs pointing to a return. Then the celebration will be that the everyday routine of playing and practicing is normal again. Alzner said the team had a “mini-celebration” when Orpik joined them on their current three-game trip, cheering him just as players had when he started practicing with them again. There are fewer steps left for him to take now, all signs pointing to a return. Then the celebration will be that the everyday routine of playing and practicing is normal again.
Orpik never took that for granted, but this experience reinforced how much he enjoyed it.Orpik never took that for granted, but this experience reinforced how much he enjoyed it.
“Sometimes I think guys, no matter what age you are, you think you’re just going to play forever,” Orpik said. “Sometimes, you just get lost in that a little bit.” “Sometimes I think guys, no matter what age you are, you think you’re just going to play forever,” Orpik said. “Sometimes you just get lost in that a little bit.”