"The leash is a lot shorter in the playoffs than it is in the regular season," Trotz said Friday. "82 [games], you can sort of work through it. … [In the playoffs] you don't have as much time. The thought process is probably a little different."
Now, Trotz might have to turn back to Orlov, who had eight goals and 21 assists during the regular season, in a situation where Orlov must know he does not have the full confidence of his coach.
Trotz said his message to Orlov after Game 1 was, "You're a good player. You've played lots of games. [In the] playoffs, everything's about short-term memory, and just move forward. You're doing a lot of good things. So, just go from there."
If Trotz is not convinced Orlov can do that, he'll have to turn to Weber. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan felt his team needed more depth and experience on defense, so he acquired Weber from the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 23 for a 2017 third-round draft pick.
Weber, who has played in one of Washington's eight Stanley Cup Playoff games so far, does not have the mobility of Orlov, which could be an issue against the speedy Penguins, but would provide a physical presence they'd be missing without Orpik. The 6-foot-2, 217-pound Pittsburgh native would also get the chance to play in the playoffs in his hometown.
"We have a lot of good players that can go in and play," Capitals forward Marcus Johansson said. "Obviously, we want [Orpik] to play, but we have plenty of good hockey players on our team."
The Capitals also have plenty of experience playing without Orpik this season. He missed 40 games from Nov. 12 to Feb. 13 because of a lower-body injury and the Capitals went 30-6-4 in that span.
Orpik also missed the final three games of Washington's first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers because of an upper-body injury. The Capitals were able to win one of those three games without him to close out a series they led 3-0.
If the Capitals are unable to get at least one win without Orpik during his suspension, his and their season will be over.