Dmitry Orlov on Flyers Third Period Sideshow: ‘That’s Not Hockey; I Don’t Even Know What to Call It’
Monday night at Wells Fargo Center, Dmitry Orlov became the target of the Philadelphia Flyers’ rage, as Pierre-Édouard Bellemare sent the Caps defenseman headfirst into the boards. As Orlov received medical attention on the bench, a Flyers fan threw a bracelet from the stands, striking Orly in the left cheek. Although bloodied, Orlov remained in the game and later assisted on a power-play goal by Jay Beagle, making the final score 6-1.
In the locker room, Orlov conducted a Russian-language interview with SovSport’s Natalia Bragilevskaya and spoke about how the game turned into a sideshow in the third period.
“Sometimes you just want to get the puck,” Orlov said. “But when they play dirty against you, that’s not hockey. I don’t even know what to call it. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Orlov confirmed he was “fine,” but said he’d prefer the Caps not “prolong this series.”
Are you all right?
Dmitry Orlov: Yeah, it’s normal. I was pushed from behind, it was an illegal hit.
Did your life flash before your eyes?
Dmitry Orlov: It’s not that big of a deal. Everything is fine. I went back on ice and forgot that episode. We have one more battle against Philadelphia. Actually, we are going to try to make one more game to be enough. We shouldn’t prolong this series.
You are under pressure. Everybody remembers how the Flyers knocked out Boston after falling behind 0-3 in their series.
Dmitry Orlov: That’s history. Nobody thinks about it. We will be in the right set of mind for the next game. To go out and play to win.
Were you prepared for the Flyers to behave like hooligans on the ice?
Dmitry Orlov: How are you going to prepare for that? We just play our game. We gave everything we have. Sometimes you just want to get the puck. But when they play dirty against you, that’s not hockey; I don’t even know what to call it. I don’t want to talk about it.
How did you manage to dampen the Flyers emotional start?
Dmitry Orlov: We had good shifts. Although we gave up a goal first. But then our power play did an excellent job. We scored a goal and calmed the game down. Even managed to control it in the first period. We spent more time in their end, held on to the puck. We had an objective not to allow another one. To have good first 10 minutes of the game. We knew the Flyers will be pushing forward, cheered on by their fans. But overall, the game went on just like we wanted. And our goalie got us through, just like he did during the regular season.
Were you prepared for the physicality?
Dmitry Orlov: Of course. We weren’t born yesterday either. We have some guys who can hit. And we have finesse players. We have a balanced team. We can play various styles of hockey, which is what we try to do every game.
Aren’t you surprised that Philadelphia is not putting up serious resistance in this series?
Dmitry Orlov: I don’t think they have surrendered. The series is not over yet. Everybody will fight until the end, nobody is letting up. We have no game tomorrow. We need to rest and recover. And then we have game 4. We need one more win to finish this series off.
Is it difficult to recover after a game like this?
Dmitry Orlov: No. It is routine. We are going to get some dinner at the hotel and then rest.
Translation by Igor Kleyner
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