Dmitry Orlov had one of the best games of his career Tuesday night.
The Russian defenseman scored three points in the Capitals’ 5-2 rout of the Minnesota Wild. It was a surprisingly rare offensive explosion for Orlov, who was first made famous by his dangling and powerful shot in the MHL and KHL.
Point 1 (Goal)
Orlov’s first goal started off the scoring for both teams. After taking a pass from Lars Eller at the point, Orlov unleashed a slapshot from the left circle beating Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk. The SCOARLOV was Orlov’s first goal of the year.
Point 2 (Assist)
With 28 seconds left in the first period, Orlov helped the Capitals strike again. Dangling past Matt Dumba, Orlov slid a pass to Tom Wilson crashing the crease. The Caps forward pushed the puck past Dubnyk to give the Caps a 2-0 lead. Wilson, staying true to his brand, also got a penalty on the play.
Point 3 (Goal)
Orlov struck again in the third period. As Alex Ovechkin carried the puck in the offensive zone on a three-on-two odd man rush, Wilson skated hard to the net, opening up a passing lane for the Russian machine. Ovechkin sent a cross-ice pass to Orlov who rocketed a one timer past Dubnyk for his second tally on the night.
“[The Capitals are] opportunistic. Their skill is well known,” Dubnyk said after the game. “They don’t need many opportunities. You give them space like that, they got weapons. We certainly could have won it. I think we played well. But that’s a team when they get those, a lot of them are going to be in the back of the net.”
The three-pointing outing was Orlov’s first since March 15 against the New York Islanders. It was also Orlov’s first two-goal game since January 23, 2017, against the Carolina Hurricanes.
While Orlov (45.1 shot attempts percent) has struggled defensively at five-on-five early on the season, perhaps his big night on offense will give him confidence moving forward.
Atta boy, Snarls!
