Following his two-goal performance against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, the second multi-goal game of his career, Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov received the highest praise possible from his captain and fellow countryman Alexander Ovechkin.
“He’s like [Nicklas] Lidstrom,” Ovechkin said of Orlov. “A Russian Lidstrom.”
Lidstrom, a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2015, is widely regarded as one of the best defensemen to ever play the game. The former Detroit Red Wing finished with 264 goals and 1,142 points in 1,564 games, the sixth-highest point total among defensemen all-time.
But it wasn’t just the points that made the seven-time Norris Trophy winner so special — it was the grace with which he played. An ultra-smooth skater, Lidstrom played with intelligence defensively, and he was affectionately nicknamed “The Perfect Human” for his calm demeanor and dynamic athleticism.
The Lidstrom comparisons are coming for Orlov as the 25-year-old comes into his own as an NHL defenseman, showing his capabilities every game.
The 2015-16 campaign was Orlov’s first full year in the NHL after a 2014-15 season lost to a broken wrist.
From May of 2014 to April of 2015, Orlov played in just three games in the AHL for the Hershey Bears.
“I’m really happy for Orly,” coach Barry Trotz said. “When [I] got here, he missed a whole year, and it took a year to really get up to speed. And, now you’re seeing what you probably might have saw last year.”
The rust on his game was evident last season. Orlov showed flashes of offensive brilliance, but he also struggled in his own defensive zone. While he didn’t suffer more turnovers than any other average defenseman, his turnovers came in critical, costly situations.
The miscues cost Orlov playing time. He was a healthy scratch in Game 2 of the second round playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins after a mistake in Game 1 resulted in a collision with partner Nate Schmidt that cost the Capitals a goal.
Orlov was benched for the final 10:45 minutes of the second period and would ultimately play just 5:44 minutes of the entire game, sitting out for the entire overtime period. He was then held out the next game in favor of depth defenseman Taylor Chorney.
Earlier this season, Orlov got caught again making poor puck judgements, most notably in the Capitals’ 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Dec. 1. Orlov had two turnovers that resulted in two goals just over three minutes apart. He took blame for the loss and vowed to play smarter with the puck.
“I did two bad mistakes, and it cost our game,” Orlov said following the game. “I don’t need to do that anymore.”
“If I see I can make a play, I will try to make a play,” Orlov continued. “If not, try to chip it, you know, get it out of the zone. [Against the Islanders], I did not, and it cost a goal. I need to see the play again and try to not do this anymore.”
Orlov has since noticeably cut back on those mistakes.
“He keeps getting better. You always know of his offensive instincts, he’s got the big shot,” Trotz said. “But what I really like about him is he’s managing the situations much better. I give a lot of credit to the coaching staff, Todd [Reirden], and I give a lot of credit to his partner that he’s had, [Matt Niskanen] or Brooks Orpik, I think it’s really helped him.”
Orlov has stuck with a team-based mindset: Don’t force plays to happen.
“We think about the defense, not try to go offense all the time,” Orlov said. “We need to be smart. If we have a chance, we have a go, but [we don’t want to] make a stupid play and make turnovers. You know, just play simple.”
That’s the vast improvement on Orlov’s game, but what is also starting to develop is the offensive game that has been apparent since he first entered the league. A left-handed shot, Orlov is the only Capitals defenseman who can truly provide a scoring presence from the left point in five-on-five play. The team is regularly trying to get Orlov to put the puck on net.
“He has a tremendous shot, obviously,” Ovechkin. “We always tell him to shoot more pucks.”
Orlov’s goal totals aren’t necessarily projected to surpass his total of eight that he tallied last season, but his assist totals are up and he should quite easily set a new career high in points. With right-handed threats in John Carlson and Niskanen on the blue line, adding Orlov to the mix just gives Washington yet another offensive weapon in what is already an embarrassment of riches in the lineup.
“He’s just growing. It’s good to see,” Trotz said. “He’s got a sense of humor, loves to play and he’s fun to watch.”
• Tommy Chalk can be reached at tchalk@washingtontimes.com.
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