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A Priceless Goal

Early in the third period Sunday, Capitals forward Jason Chimera made a move up the left wing into the Carolina Hurricanes’ zone. Usually, his speed means he’s there by himself, but today, thanks to what seemed a more deliberate pace, there was company—Joel Ward on the opposite boards, and in the center rookie defenseman Dmitry Orlov, whose hustle ended up carrying him past Chimera and towards the net. Chimera shot. Cam Ward made sure he missed. But the rebound came out just in time for Orlov to reach back as he skated past the net, and stick the puck past Ward for his first NHL goal. The smile that flashed on Orlov’s face afterwards pretty much rendered the red goal light unnecessary. And he put his team up 2-1, which would be the final score. “Right then and there, you remember your first goal, when you scored your first NHL goal,” said Chimera, who had an assist and a hand in the initial on-ice celebration. “And it’s pretty cool. It’s a cool moment for him. … You wish you could have a camera at that point, ‘cause it’s priceless.” Capitals forward Troy Brouwer chuckled when being asked about the expression of joy on Orlov’s face after the game. “I think everyone’s that excited [about their first NHL goal], to be honest with you,” Brouwer said. “It’s such a huge accomplishment. We’re very proud of him.” Chimera reflected on that first-goal reaction: “When you get your first, a lot of emotions go through your head, a lot of time spent getting there, so it’s a fun moment when you get it.” Chimera also brought up, unsolicited, how hard Orlov had been working—a compliment in and of itself for the rookie. It may be only one goal in a 82 (plus?) game season, but it took 20 years of hard work to make it happen. Hopefully more are on the way for the young defenseman. Meanwhile, on the flip side of the game, team captain Alex Ovechkin had a hit that’s too good not to share on the Carolina Hurricanes’ Tuomo Ruutu, who could only be described as being at the wrong place at the wrong time on this one. Pass the Tylenol, please.

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Orlov’s 1st Career NHL Goal is the GWG: Caps 2 / Canes 1

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A Snapshot from Hershey

The Hershey Bears’ Braden Holtby said what happened this summer with the Capitals’ goaltending situation—when the Capitals traded a goalie above him in the depth chart only to sign another— is almost out of his mind. There’s been a lot to focus on in Hershey. While their NHL affiliate has gone through a systems makeover this season, there’s been a slight shift in strength of game down at Hershey as well. Holtby described the team to OFB via a phone interview in December as more offensive-based than before, with the skill being up front. It was also a much slower start to the season than the goaltender expected for himself (his current SAV% is 9.03, whereas last year he finished with a .920). In fact, Holtby’s admitted bumpy start reveals a very different side to one of the stories that made a brief appearance on the national media scene last November; it also gives a glimpse into the kind of mentoring that coaches like Olie Kolzig (associate goaltending coach with the Capitals) are giving Holtby. After a 3-2 shootout win against (who else?) the Baby Pens in late November, Holtby –who stopped 4 of 5 pucks in the shootout for the win—gave a series of fist pumps that took him to center ice. He wound up with a game misconduct, a brawl almost ensued, and Puck Daddy picked up the video (via Sweetest Hockey on Earth) with its usual doset of good-humored commentary. Tim Leone for The Patriot News reported this quote from the Baby Pens on the incident: “We were just upset, just the showboating,” WBS forward Zach Sill said. “We showed we weren’t happy with it. In our own barn, you don’t want that happening.” Completely understandable. But after hearing Holtby reflect on the incident to OFB, the celebration, it turns out, seemed to come more from a place of relief–—a sort of personal catharsis. After the rougher-than-anticipated start to the season, Holtby finally felt in that game he played better. But, even when going through personal struggles, you’re still part of a team, and that was the heart of what Kolzig stressed to the young goaltender afterwards. Holtby said Kolzig didn’t want to take away that it had been a rough road for the goaltender up until that point. But he reminded Holtby not to let individual celebrations get in the way of the team. Coming from one player known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve to another, it sounds like good advice. And it’s one more learning curve Holtby’s navigated this year.

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What Brooks Laich’s Injury Means for the Capitals, No GQ Magazine Call for Orlov

The Capitals lost 4-1 to the Boston Bruins Sunday, and they also lost a key piece when center Brooks Laich went to the locker room game with an undisclosed injury that kept him out for the rest of the game (it looked to be either knee or ankle). In addition, despite actually outshooting the Bruins, the Capitals couldn’t solve the enigma of Tim Thomas in net. “Tim Thomas won a Stanley Cup playing like that last year,” said OFB TV guest Ed Frankovic. Watch Frankovic, Ted Starkey, and yours truly discuss what adjustments the Capitals will have to consider if Laich is out of the lineup for an extended period of time and also Dmitry Orlov’s bad puck luck.

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