Orpik leadership key for Capitals heading into Game 5 against Lightning
Washington counting on veteran to be father figure in Eastern Final
After 15 NHL seasons, including the past four in Washington, the defenseman has seen pretty much everything. At 37, he is the oldest Capitals player, an alternate captain and their only player with a Stanley Cup ring.
His nickname, "Batya," bestowed upon him by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov after he joined the Capitals in 2014-15, is Russian for dad. It's a term of respect.
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"That's why we gave him that nickname," Orlov said. "He's an older guy and he has a lot of experience. Everyone in the room respects him."
Current and former teammates say Orpik is not a rah-rah-type leader but provides a steadying voice when it's needed, like now.
The Capitals were riding high after winning the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning on the road. But they lost the next two at home and return to Tampa Bay for Game 5 of the best-of-7 series on Saturday (7:15 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVAS) desperate for a victory.
Washington has other leaders: captain Alex Ovechkin, center Nicklas Backstrom, defenseman Matt Niskanen and goaltender Braden Holtby. They play more prominent roles on the ice than Orpik, a third-pair defenseman and penalty killer. But they all look to him as a stabilizing beacon.
"He kind of keeps our team on the right path," Holtby said. "He's extremely professional, extremely businesslike in the terms of he keeps everyone making sure that we realize we have a job to do."
The job is to win Saturday. No one has to remind them of that, but Orpik is often there to provide perspective.
Orpik said he doesn't feel the need to speak up more because he won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and has played in the Stanley Cup Final twice (also 2008). But as one of three Capitals, along with Niskanen and forward Lars Eller, to have played in a conference final previously, he knows what this series means to Washington, which is in the NHL's final four for the first time since 1998.
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"At this point, everybody knows what's at stake," Orpik said. "The only thing I really stress is, whether you're a rookie or if you've played five years, 10 years, there will be a handful of guys that will never play in a conference final again. So I think it's more just realizing the opportunity we have."
The Capitals signed forward Justin Williams to a two-year contract in 2015 because of his leadership and experience from winning the Stanley Cup three times (2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes, 2012 and 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings). Orpik and Williams, the 2014 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, were each selected in first round of the 2000 NHL Draft -- Orpik at No. 18 by Pittsburgh and Williams at No. 28 by the Philadelphia Flyers -- and had some history from playing against each other but didn't know each other that well.
"We obviously had some battles, but when I got there it was very clear and very evident that he was the father figure of the team," said Williams, who left the Capitals to sign with the Hurricanes this offseason. "He was the guy who people looked to if they wanted to learn how to be a professional. … He's usually doing the right things. He's getting himself ready. He's been in the League a long time, so he's figured out what he needs, what his body needs.
"He just has that presence about him that he's around, and he's going to be doing the right things."
Those qualities are invaluable to the Capitals, who have worked six rookies into the lineup during the playoffs: Jakub Vrana, Chandler Stephenson, Christian Djoos, Shane Gersich, Travis Boyd and Nathan Walker.
Gersich (two games), Boyd and Walker (one game each) were injury replacements, but Vrana, Stephenson and Djoos are regulars.
"As an older guy, you've just got to realize there's a lot of younger guys who kind of watch your routine and how you handle certain situations and how you treat people," Orpik said. "You've just got to be aware that people are always watching how you approach things."
Djoos, 23, is Orpik's defense partner and said he's picked up a lot from watching how he prepares for games and practices and from listening to his advice during games. They talk often on the bench between shifts.
"He knows the League," Djoos said. "You just try to watch and learn and see what he says and does."
Capitals coach Barry Trotz views Orpik as an extension of the coaching staff.
"He's a player that has experience and has been in these situations before, so his wisdom resonates in the room," Trotz said. "There are few guys that earn more respect than Brooks Orpik in our locker room."
The example Orpik sets on the ice is valuable too. In the playoffs, he ranks fourth on the Capitals and ninth in the NHL with 49 hits, and he's fifth in the NHL and second on the Capitals with 36 blocked shots (behind Niskanen's 43).
"He always battles hard, plays hard every time, every shift," Orlov said. "You're always learning from him. He always says the right things. He always blocks shots in tough situations and helps us in the game. Guys respect him in our locker room, and in our lives also."
With one season left on his contract, Orpik doesn't know if he'll get this close to winning the Stanley Cup again. He said he hopes that if he treats this as possibly his last chance, maybe others, particular the younger Capitals, will too.
"I've been lucky," Orpik said. "I look at [former Penguins teammate and four-time Cup winner Chris Kunitz on the Lightning] and you've got to be blessed with some good luck, and there's certain guys that it's not a surprise that they have success and they're part of successful teams. But you definitely need some luck on your side too.
"I think when it comes to you earlier, you probably don't appreciate it because you think it's going to happen all the time. No matter what your age is, I think you should have the same appreciation."
