Brooks Orpik went 824 days between goals before scoring the winner in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
In that span, the bruising defenseman blocked 446 shots and dished out even more hits. That won’t make him look more valuable on the stat sheet but certainly builds up respect among Washington Capitals teammates.
“He plays extremely hard,” forward Tom Wilson said. “They don’t make ‘em like Brooks Orpik anymore.”
They really don’t.
As the NHL shifts toward speed and skill and away from size and physicality, defensemen like Orpik and Deryk Engelland of the Vegas Golden Knights are becoming rare species in hockey.