Brooks Orpik of the Washington Capitals is suspended for three games after hitting Pittsburgh Penguins Olli Maatta in Saturday night’s game. Maatta was hit in the head by Orpik, causing him to become disoriented and leave for the rest of the game. After the hit, it was expected to be a major penalty, however the defenseman only received a penalty for interference.
Maatta’s injury has been named an upper-body injury. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan stated that he is “not optimistic” about Maatta returning for Game 3. After returning from a lower-body injury on April 13, Maatta has not had much playing time so far this post-season.
As for the Capitals, coach Barry Trotz stated that Orpik simply thought that the puck was going back to Maatta when he hit him. As a former Penguins player, Orpik has relations with both teams.
So, what does this mean for Washington? During its last round against the Philadelphia Flyers, Orpik sustained a concussion that caused him to miss the majority of the round. Orpik will be eligible to return to Washington for Game 6, should the series go that far.
Washington’s Brooks Orpik suspended three games for interference on Pittsburgh’s Olli Maatta. Video: https://t.co/2sM04ITGzZ
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 2, 2016
