Brooks Orpik

[billybudd]

Even if Orpik's physicality was somehow relevant against the the West, specifically, the Western conference teams in question will just punch him in the face, knowing he's too chicken**** to do anything about it.

He'll disrespect the ref, get a misconduct, then that'll be the end of the Penguins so-called secret weapon against the West.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

I've been on the can Orpik train forever now. He's never been able to match up against top forwards. The difference in the past was they didn't even try to match him up against top forwards. He was just a guy who hit and could skate (usually chasing someone on a breakaway). This "Brooks Orpik, shutdown guy" crap started when Martin became his partner.

On a night like tonight when Martin makes a few mistakes, it's painfully clear Orpik isn't going to help.

What the heck was he doing stepping up against a forward on Martin's side of the ice on that Bailey goal? Did you see Crosby fish the puck out of Orpik's skates while Bruce looked around for the puck?

If I didn't know better, I'd say Orpik is like the 10 second Tom guy from that Adam Sandler movie. Every 10 seconds he looks up and seems like he has no idea how he got wherever he is.

 

[888 98 twins]

Question- would people be comfortable with Bortuzzo taking Orpik's place on the blueline? Obviously he'd play less minutes, but I'd have to assume he'd be paired with Martin and be counted on as really the only physical D-man on the roster.

Or do you all want Despres in there? Think he can provide the physical play we'd be missing without Orpik?

 

[alcanalz]

Question- would people be comfortable with Bortuzzo taking Orpik's place on the blueline? Obviously he'd play less minutes, but I'd have to assume he'd be paired with Martin and be counted on as really the only physical D-man on the roster.

Or do you all want Despres in there? Think he can provide the physical play we'd be missing without Orpik?

Personally, I'd feel much more comfortable with Despres there than Bortuzzo. Despres / Martin seems to me like it would work really well (although Martin's really easy to play with and makes many D look better). Despres can be physical as we've seen. The onus is on him to bring it on a more consistent basis. Hell, even if he doesn't, I'd still definitely rather have him there.

 

[IcedCapp]

Bruce looked great tonight. Lock this unnecessary thread up. 4 more years. Yes we can.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Personally, I'd feel much more comfortable with Despres there than Bortuzzo. Despres / Martin seems to me like it would work really well (although Martin's really easy to play with and makes many D look better). Despres can be physical as we've seen. The onus is on him to bring it on a more consistent basis. Hell, even if he doesn't, I'd still definitely rather have him there.

Agreed. At this point, there is nothing Orpik does better than Despres at this point, and Despres would add an actual ability to move the puck. I don't think this club misses a beat if they dealt Orpik and put Despres in his spot. In fact, they'd instantly be improved without Orpik's nightly blunders.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

With the way Pierre McGuire was going on tonight about Adams as well, it's like I'm watching an entirely different sport than some of these guys being paid big bucks to cover the games are.

Orpik was terrible tonight. Yes, he did make two stick plays to break up scoring chances. But he offset those good acts by being a train wreck positionally, and with his usual bad play with the puck on his stick.

Yep. He was DIRECTLY responsible for the 3rd and 4th Isles goals.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Question- would people be comfortable with Bortuzzo taking Orpik's place on the blueline? Obviously he'd play less minutes, but I'd have to assume he'd be paired with Martin and be counted on as really the only physical D-man on the roster.

Or do you all want Despres in there? Think he can provide the physical play we'd be missing without Orpik?

I'll take the better player over the more physical one 100 times out of 100. Despres can provide physicality as well. There's no question he should be playing in Orpik's place right now if roster spots were given based off of merit on this team.

 

[IcedCapp]

With the way Pierre McGuire was going on tonight about Adams as well, it's like I'm watching an entirely different sport than some of these guys being paid big bucks to cover the games are.

Orpik was terrible tonight. Yes, he did make two stick plays to break up scoring chances. But he offset those good acts by being a train wreck positionally, and with his usual bad play with the puck on his stick.

DID YOU SEE THAT ONE MALKIN LINE SHIFT? Where Geno, Neal and I think Jussi held the puck in for something like a full minute, then it rotates back to Orpik and he... softly slides it to the middle of the ice where 3 Islanders await it?

WHAT THE **** IS GOING THROUGH THAT MAN'S MIND?

 

[ColePens]

I sit and watch how ****ing awful he is... and cannot imagine the coaching staff watches film and says "YES! That's what we need!" But then again - same goes for Glass/Adams and yet they never miss a damn game.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

DID YOU SEE THAT ONE MALKIN LINE SHIFT? Where Geno, Neal and I think Jussi held the puck in for something like a full minute, then it rotates back to Orpik and he... softly slides it to the middle of the ice where 3 Islanders await it?

WHAT THE **** IS GOING THROUGH THAT MAN'S MIND?

Sadly, that's a regular occurrence for Orpik, too. Any play where the Pens have control and send it back to him results in either him bobbling the puck and the other team skating down the ice on a 2 on 1, or him sending the puck to an area where there's no teammate and ultimately the Pens lose control of the puck.

And that's just a microcosm of his game in the offensive zone. That pales in comparison to his decision making and play in the defensive zone/neutral zone. The Bailey goal, it was like Orpik decided he was going to nail his defense partner Martin with a huge open ice check, so he skated to Martin's side of the ice and initiated contact, allowing Bailey to just skate down the ice where Orpik *should* have been and score on a breakaway.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yep. He was DIRECTLY responsible for the 3rd and 4th Isles goals.

Yeah, it's unbelievable how he can be so consistently bad. And the goals you're referring to occur way too much. Those are typical of the types of things that happen when he's on the ice.

There was the Bailey play I mentioned above, then there was the one where he got to the puck first but, for some reason, failed completely to move the puck before Tavares got there, got stripped of the puck by Tavares, which lead directly to the disallowed/allowed goal.

I just don't understand what the coaching staff sees in him. As a fan of Team Canada, I actually can't stop grinning from ear to ear to think Orpik made Team USA.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I can't wait to see him pirouette at the Olympics.

I think I could tolerate the physically sparing himself crap if the majority of his problems weren't mental. It's just hilariously bad decision making. Ignoring the selfishness of him expecting everyone else to pick up the slack and take more abuse because of him, and still be ready for the playoffs themselves; also his complaining when he's the worst for so much.

He's a player that Bylsma is latching onto because he's sucking and clearly in over his head and/or over the hill.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

I mean... I want to at least take a second to recognize and respect the guy's tenure and contributions to the team. He's also put up some truly impressive playoff performances and was in good form in that regard as recently as last season.

All that said, I agree.

I still don't think, in the end, the team will be foolish enough to re-sign him, though. It would be the wrong decision for a slew of reasons. And they aren't dumb.

Ummmm this is the team that extended Bylsma and continues to pick up useless "bylsma viagra" AKA washed up NHL 4th line garbage in droves... I'm not so sure about your statement, sadly.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

I sit and watch how ****ing awful he is... and cannot imagine the coaching staff watches film and says "YES! That's what we need!" But then again - same goes for Glass/Adams and yet they never miss a damn game.

 

[Tender Rip]

Question- would people be comfortable with Bortuzzo taking Orpik's place on the blueline? Obviously he'd play less minutes, but I'd have to assume he'd be paired with Martin and be counted on as really the only physical D-man on the roster.

Or do you all want Despres in there? Think he can provide the physical play we'd be missing without Orpik?

Yes, want Despres there instead. Because he is better at everything except conceivably penalty killing. As for the physicality, he hits about as much considering minutes played, and he doesn't just look to hit the smallest opponents he can find, nor does he let himself be made look a sissy behind our goal.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

DID YOU SEE THAT ONE MALKIN LINE SHIFT? Where Geno, Neal and I think Jussi held the puck in for something like a full minute, then it rotates back to Orpik and he... softly slides it to the middle of the ice where 3 Islanders await it?

WHAT THE **** IS GOING THROUGH THAT MAN'S MIND?

I ****ing lost it after that. Those 3 worked so hard to maintain possession and then Tardo decides to float the puck to nobody. Unbelievable.

I sit and watch how ****ing awful he is... and cannot imagine the coaching staff watches film and says "YES! That's what we need!" But then again - same goes for Glass/Adams and yet they never miss a damn game.

Something has to be done. If not by DB, then Shero.

Veteran leeway can only go so far.

Yeah, it's unbelievable how he can be so consistently bad. And the goals you're referring to occur way too much. Those are typical of the types of things that happen when he's on the ice.

There was the Bailey play I mentioned above, then there was the one where he got to the puck first but, for some reason, failed completely to move the puck before Tavares got there, got stripped of the puck by Tavares, which lead directly to the disallowed/allowed goal.

I just don't understand what the coaching staff sees in him. As a fan of Team Canada, I actually can't stop grinning from ear to ear to think Orpik made Team USA.

Orpik's the Teflon Don. For some reason any other defenseman in the line-up can be criticized by media, staff, etc, but calling out #44 is verboten.

They were all over Letang this year. How about a piece on a useless aging vet defenseman who doesn't have a single dimension to fall back on.

 

[DoktorZaius]

Sadly, that's a regular occurrence for Orpik, too. Any play where the Pens have control and send it back to him results in either him bobbling the puck and the other team skating down the ice on a 2 on 1, or him sending the puck to an area where there's no teammate and ultimately the Pens lose control of the puck.
.

What about option 3? Shatter Sidney Crosby's jaw.

 

[FDBluth]

Orpik has quite a few bad spots in his game, but the absolute worst has to be when he has to retrieve dump-ins in the defensive zone. He always makes a soft play on the puck and either sets up his partner in a bad position or straight up gives the puck away.

 

[hoyster]

I sit and watch how ****ing awful he is... and cannot imagine the coaching staff watches film and says "YES! That's what we need!" But then again - same goes for Glass/Adams and yet they never miss a damn game.

And to think they use the rating system after every game. Do they really give 4's and 5's to Kobasew, Adams, Glass, Orpik etc and then give all the 1's and 2's to Bort, Despres, Megna etc?

 

[MrBurghundy]

The reason the media doesn't call out Orpik is because he gives a good quote and they don't want to sacrifice their golden goose.

 

[Greeneye]

what gets me is mgmt doesnt recognize how bad he has been. he was absolutely horrible last night. the few plays he did make were a result of a pass just hitting his stick...i guess he does deserve credit for having a stick in the passing lane but any average dman makes those plays.

to me despres is clearly a better player than #horripik at this point. frankly i'd rather see bortuzzo over him as well, he will at least stand up for a team mate.

if I recall correctly he was on the ice for 3ga last night and 2 of them were direct results of his poor play....but he lead the team in ice time. i really dont understand the bylsma hate.

 

[IcedCapp]

So I do appreciate what Orpik (and Scuderi) have meant to the franchise.

With that in mind, I allowed myself to entertain the theory that they were struggling not because of them, but because of a lack of support from the forwards.

Just watching them, specifically Orpik, that's not the case at all. Support, no support, time, no time, space, no space, he his horrible with the puck on his stick and hasn't been playing awfully great without the puck, either.

I'm not even calling for Despres right now. Just put Orpik in the box for a game and let Bortuzzo play.

Just please stop making it seem like he's playing well.

 

[IHWR]

Yeah he wasn't good last night. A handful of those plays can be somewhat defended but the bulk of them were just bad.

Not sure he needs to sit but I'd reduce his ES minutes to see what that does.

 

[#66]

IMO the problem isn't Orpik but the Pens giving free rein to their vets. He's still a good skater and can play a physical style but he needs that structure and support that 90% of the rest of the league needs. He isn't getting it so he looks bad playing loosy, goosy hockey.

Its funny how much he hated MT because he's the only coach that Orpik looked good under. I think the only time he's really played well under another coach is that Tampa series a few years ago. MT formed him into a better defensemen and that added support system let Orpik think less on his own. Before and after MT... Orpik is the same player. The bad... lots of mental gaffs and overextending himself. The good... mobility, size and can still play a mean game.