On this very special day, we’re releasing a bunch of new shirts to the RMNB store– and we’re sure you’ll love at least one of them. If you’re into Perreault’s post-game celebrations, The Wagon, or meteors, we’ve got a shirt for you. And if you hate Pennsylvania (and who doesn’t?), we’ve got you covered as well. Seven new shirts in all, in men’s and women’s cuts, all printed on the finest natural synthetic fabrics available.

Wwith Mother’s day coming up, all Women’s tees are 15% off. Just use the coupon code MOTHER2013 during check-out.

We’re real proud of this new batch of shirts. Take a look and let us know what you think!

#PerryCelly T-Shirt

Emotions run high when hockey goes to extra innings. Anything can happen in sudden death overtime, but it seems like one thing always does: Mathieu Perreault freaking out. The #PerryCelly shirt, illustrated by RMNB’s own Rachel Cohen, is your way of commemorating and celebrating along with him.

Buy Here | Full Size Graphic

Wagon T-Shirt

Carrying the Caps like a rickety Conestoga, there’s the ever-reliable Matt Hendricks, whose name has fallen out of fashion in favor of this new one: The Wagon. He’s sturdy and well-worn, like your mom’s Buick Estate, except Hendy does somewhat more more punching and goal-scoring than grocery-getting.

Buy Here | Full Size Graphic

RMNB Space Logo T-Shirt

We’re proud of our ties to space. Sorry: spaaaaaaace. There was the time Igor found ice on Mercury, and then the whole meteor thing that nearly melted our servers. Hockey is now just a side project for us, something to fill the hours before our next space adventure. Wear this shirt if you’re boldly going with us.

Buy Here | Full Size Graphic

The Ten Train Brings the Pain T-Shirt

Tom Wilson wears the #10 jersey in Plymouth. The Whalers announcers dubbed him “The Ten Train” for his railroading hits, which along with grain and dry goods, also bring the pain. Rock The Ten Train shirt so you can tell your friends you were onboard with Wilson first.

Buy Here | Full Size Graphic

Hip-Check 3D T-Shirt

Dmitry Orlov and hipchecks go together like milk and pasta. Also like milk and pasta, Orlov’s hipchecks can be devastating to your health. And while this shirt probably isn’t 3-D even when you wear the glasses, it looks rad in any situation. Disorient your friends all day long!

Buy Here | Full Size Graphic

Pennsylvania Is The Worst State Ever T-Shirt

Pennsylvania is awful. Why is is there a town named Intercourse in PA? Why does driving over the Mason-Dixon Line feel like traveling back in time to an era before pothole-filling technology was invented? Pennsylvania hosts two of the Capitals’ most heated rivals, the Penguins and the Flyers. Let your enmity be known in this lovely shirt, which comes in two variations: retina-burning Philly orange or Pittsburgh powder blue. Also appropriate for ironic or self-loathing Pennsylvanians, because we call agree on point: Hershey rules! (As noted in the small print.)

Buy Here | Full Size Graphic

I Survived The Chelyabinsk Meteor T-Shirt

The Chelyabinsk meteor injured over a thousand people, but most of those were from broken glass and the like. Everyone made it through okay, and now it’s just a wild story with lots of concomitant property damage. And because The World is Wrong, your humble hockey blog was first to cover it all. The “I Survived the Chelyabinsk Meteor and Read About it First on RMNB” shirt is part solemn remembrance of a crazy time and also a really nice way to help us pay for the ridiculous bandwidth expenses that came out of it.

Buy Here | Full Size Graphic

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

As the Washington Capitals returned home to face the New York Islanders, they were likely pondering the 6 points out of a total 8 they earned on their recent road trip. That pondering may have led to some absent-minded play in the first period, but the Caps recovered in the second to put forward one of their strongest possession games of the season. But possession was exactly what Mike Green didn’t have when his goof-up allowed the GWG for John Tavares.

Islanders beat Caps 3-2.

• The Islanders grabbed an early lead off goals by Michael Grabner and Josh Bailey. Both of those goals were due to some hard work by the Isles along the boards– plainly outworking the Caps. The Islanders took Verizon Center out of the game early, a palpable blow to a big homecoming game.
• In general, the Capitals aren’t a strong possession team when they’re behind on the scoreboard. Tonight was different. The second period Caps worked their way back, establishing a plus-11 even-strength shot attempt differential after 40 minutes. And, oh yeah, two goals.
• The first came from Mike Ribeiro, who doesn’t shoot until he sees the whites of the goalie’s eyes. Ribs caught a really smart pass from Troy Brouwer that created space and speed for the scorer. Ribeiro is scoring on more than a quarter of his shots on goal, which is laudable. No player has a bigger incentive to win games right now than he, so it makes sense.
• The second goal was a (possibly tipped) shot by John Carlson, who was moving laterally along the blue line like Oleksy is so wont to do. Yeah, Oleksy appears to be rubbing off on the tactics of others. Is that more awesome or weird? I can’t tell.
• Al Koken says “Literally!” more than Chris Traeger.
• Dmitry Orlov does not shoot enough. He’s been on the ice for over 75 minutes this season and has put just one puck on the net. Deliberately wide shots have their time and place, but Orly can make a real career for himself if he makes like Carlson and takes Oleksy’s lead: shoot early and often!
• The Capitals expertly killed Matt Hendricks‘ interference penalty in the third. As Hendy escaped the box, he drew a penalty from the Isles. A good turnaround of fortune, but the ensuring power play was shotless– despite some Ovechkin solo heroics.
• Late in the third, Mike Green lost track of the puck between his skates. Matt Moulson got that loose puck to John Tavares, who transmogrified it into the game-winner.
• Alex Ovechkin‘s point streak hits 6 games. His 32 on the season is more than Mike Milbury got in all but his two best years– when he played 70-80 games.

Joe B suit of the night

That was disappointing. Rough start, big comeback, and then one innocent goof costs the Caps the game. That was a very valuable pair of points the Caps let go. When the final standings show a margin of one or two points, remember how they bobbled off the blades of Mike Green back in late March. And then reach for an adult beverage.

But don’t get down on the Caps though– this was a well-played game lost by a slim margin. That’s hockey, the sport we usually love but tonight we hate.

P.S. Joe B and Locker in plaid over there sorta has an “early days of Monday Night Football” vibe to it, right? Only thing missing is, well, fedoras, scotch, and seething misogyny.

Photo credit: @mkirilenko

A night before the Capitals take on the New York Islanders at home, Alex Ovechkin and fellow countryman Dmitry Orlov took their ladies, Maria and Varvara, out to dinner. Maybe they were celebrating the Caps’ three-game winning-streak or maybe they were celebrating Ovi’s NHL Live interview where he said uh exactly 382 times. Maybe they were just hungry. Either way, hooray for Russian Caps hanging out. Helps the RMNB brand.

Photo credit: Sweetest Hockey On Earth’s Tim Stough

Dmitry Orlov suffered an apparent concussion after a nasty hit at the Hershey Bears’ December 6 game at Verizon Center. He lost most of the next few months recovering from the injury before returning to HBH four games ago. Since the comeback, Orlov’s conditioning has markedly improved, putting up two assists in his latest game with the Bears on Sunday. To make room for Orlov on the roster, the Caps have placed Tomas Kundratek (apparent right leg injury) on injured reserve retroactive to March 14. For an ailing Washington blue line, the return of Dmitry Orlov is great news.

Orlov sported 16 points in 60 games last season, and his on-ice puck possession was second best among the D corps (although he did face weak competition as a rookie).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 18, 2013

Capitals Recall Orlov from Hershey
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled defenseman Dmitry Orlov from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Orlov, 21, has recorded 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) and 16 penalty minutes in 22 games with Hershey and has tallied three assists in his last two AHL contests. He collected 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) and 18 penalty minutes in 60 games with the Capitals during his rookie season in 2011-12. Orlov finished the season ranked fourth in scoring among rookie defensemen despite finishing ranked 23rd in average ice time per game (16:52).

Orlov, a 6’0”, 210-pound defenseman from Novokuznetsk, Russia, was Washington’s second-round selection, 55th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He has registered 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists) in 56 career AHL games with Hershey and helped lead Team Russia to a gold medal at the 2011 World Junior Championships in Buffalo, recording nine points (one goal, eight assists) in seven games while being named to the tournament All-Star team.

In addition, Orlov represented Team Russia at the 2010 World Junior Championships and was one of Russia’s top three performers at the 2009 Under-18 World Championships.

Orlov will participate in Washington’s morning skate on Tuesday. He will wear No. 81.

Orlov returns! (Photo credit: Sweetest Hockey On Earth’s Tim Stough)

Playing at Verizon Center on December 6th, an unfriendly shoulder was planted under Dmitry Orlov‘s chin, resulting in an upper body injury that would keep him away from the game he loves for the next three months.

On Saturday night, Orlov was finally back in action– playing for the Hershey Bears against the Norfolk Admirals. Less than a minute into the game, Orlov hoisted the puck over the glass, earning a delay-of-game penalty. Not the start he was loooking for, but — as he tells RMNB- Orlov was just happy to be back in action.

How serious was the injury, and was it hard to come back from it?

Frankly, I don’t even want to talk about it. I am back to playing hockey, and that’s all that matters to me right now!

Did you feel nervous when the game started? Is that maybe why you had that delay of game penalty called against you?

I wasn’t really nervous – either before the game, or when it started. It was just a coincidence – I was unlucky trying to get the puck out of our zone. And then on top of that, we let one in while I was in the penalty box. I was just trying to clear the puck out, but miscalculated slightly – and the puck ended up over the glass.

While you were injured, your Bears teammate Tomas Kundratek surprised a lot of people with his play for the Capitals.

I am not at all surprised by his success in Washington. That’s how it works – someone gets injured on the big team, he gets a call and a chance to impress! Great for him that he is not wasting this opportunity. I think he is working as hard as he can, he wants to play in the NHL; it’s every hockey player’s dream.

With no other Russians on the team, is your English getting better?

Yes, it’s a bit easier when there are other Russian guys on the team, but that’s not how it is right now. I think my English is improving. I would love to speak fluent English, and I am putting a lot of effort into learning the language; it’s far from perfect, of course, right now, but I think it is much better than what I had in the beginning.

Are you in any way discouraged by how things have gone for you lately?

This is my second [full] season in North America. That’s all I am concentrating on for now. I only played in 19 games so far this season. And I missed the game so much! But there is still time this season, two more months to go, so I am looking forward to the chance to work myself back into shape, to get comfortable on the ice, and to gain back my confidence. I have to admit during these three months [away from hockey] I lost a bit of what I had worked on; I need to work on getting it back.

Photo credit: Sweetest Hockey On Earth’s Tim Stough

Orlov catches up with Mike Green at Hershey’s Outdoor Game. (Photo credit: Kyle Mace of Sweetest Hockey On Earth)

Their defensive depth was supposed to be a strength. The plan for the Washington Capitals was to have nine blueliners with serious NHL experience at their deposal, ready to jump into to a game at any minute. It didn’t work out that way. The pair of Karl Alzner and John Carlson has struggled, giving up a majority of the team’s goals against. The other D-men haven’t been much better. Tom Poti has played three games in two years. Mike Green is scoreless. And then there are the injuries. Jack Hillen went down after playing less than four minutes. Dmitry Orlov has been out indefinitely. The Caps have been forced to call up Tomas Kundratek.

So what happened to Orlov, one of the team’s rising stars? While skating for the Hershey Bears in the AHL Showcase at Verizon Center in November, the young Russian absorbed a hit up high from Emerson Etem. He didn’t appear to be favoring anything when he attempted to play one more shift that night, leading many to believe he suffered a concussion. In an interview with RMNB’s Ian Oland, Bears coach Mark French did not confirm or deny that Orlov may have received a concussion on the hit.

“The only thing we’ve said so far — as far as my understanding — is that it’s an upper body injury,” French told Ian. “It’s above my pay grade and above my qualifications to say any more. It’s certainly an upper body injury.”

“Our hope is that once we regroup as a team following the All-Star break he would be able to skate,” said the coach.

This was second time Orlov has been injured this year. A month and a half before leaving the AHL Showcase, he was slammed head-first awkwardly into the boards from behind, causing him to miss about two weeks. French said the injuries are connected.

“It’s hard to answer without the medical knowledge, but to my understanding of it, they are related,” he said to Ian.

According to French, the fastest coach in AHL history to 100 wins, Orlov is progressing after suffering a set-back the second week of January. That week, Orlov tried skating again for the first time since suffering the injury but didn’t feel “good” and “backed off,” in French’s words. Since then, Dima has been riding a stationary bike to work on his fitness as he makes his way back into game shape. The plan is to have Novokuznetsk native back on the ice again next week after the AHL All-Star Game on Monday.

“I think he is getting better,” French said. “It’s safe to say that once he comes back healthy, there’ll be a conditioning period where we’ll have to get him up to game speed. How long that is, I’m not sure. We certainly would like to see him in a week of practice before getting him back into a game.”

“I would expect once he is healthy and goes through a conditioning period down here, that he would be going right up to Washington,” he continued.

Since coming over to North America in the spring of 2010, Orlov has acquitted himself well. After his Russian team was eliminated from the playoffs, he bolted over the pond to play for Bears in their run for the Calder Cup. In 2011, he started the year with Hershey but by November he was playing in his first NHL game. He became a staple on Washington’s blueline over the course of the year, playing 60 games his rookie season while tallying 19 points.

Around the time Orlov came up, however, the Caps fired their head coach, Bruce Boudreau. Orlov, an offensive defenseman, was more suited to Boudreau’s game then the one implemented by Dale Hunter last season, something that preached defense above all else.

“Dale made it work, but it probably wasn’t the best system for Dmitry’s game,” said French, who called Adam Oates’ system “much more up Dmitry’s alley.”

Orlov’s biggest adjustment, though, hasn’t been on the ice. A 21-year-old from Southern Russia, getting used to the language and the culture has been a big undertaking. But now after almost two years here Orlov’s English is better, to the point where we can have full conversations.

“He never really had a true understanding of what you were really trying to communicate,” French said. “He would acknowledge and shake his head like “Yeah,” but you never knew if he was really grasping it. I think now when you can have that dialogue, you can see that he’s truly understanding what you’re saying and it’s probably been the biggest challenge of his development of all.”

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.

Dima sits with the other Bears scratches during Saturday’s Bears game. (Photo credit: Katie Stansbery)

When Dmitry Orlov came out of the tunnel for the AHL Showcase game last month, he was excited to see fans back at Verizon Center. It was the reason why, in his opinion, he played the best hockey of his season. The AHL gamesheet says that the 21-year-old defenseman recorded two shots on goal that first period, but Dima remembered it being closer to four or five.

Unfortunately, as he confirmed to me on Saturday night during the first intermission of the Bears/Senators game, Orlov suffered an injury after absorbing a hit from Emerson Etem. Due to team policy, Orlov would not reveal the nature or location of his injury.

After spending two weeks recovering, Orlov has begun riding an exercise bike and lifting weights. According to Hershey Bears head coach Mark French, Orlov is close to getting back on the ice for practice again.

“He’s still not skating,” French told me after the Bears 3-1 loss to the Binghamton Senators. “We hope in the next week we can get him back on the ice and start getting his conditioning to a level that we might see him back in the line-up in the future.”

With the lockout now over, Orlov will most likely return to Arlington for training camp where his status will be further evaluated, just like injured first-line center Nicklas Backstrom, whose agent told us is week-to-week with a “bruised neck.”

When I asked Orlov how tough it would be to skate after a month-plus-long layoff, Orlov squeezed his non-existent belly fat, laughed, and told me in English,”it will be very difficult.” He’s hopeful he will be ready for Opening Night in a few weeks. Fingers crossed.

Photo credit: Ian iPad

Photo credit: Jordan Tenenbaum

On December 6th, the Verizon Center hosted the AHL Showcase between the Hershey Bears and Norfolk Admirals. Due to the lockout, it was the first hockey game played in Washington since May 9th, when two current Bears were playing with the Capitals: Braden Holtby and Dmitry Orlov.

While Holtby dominated in the Bears 2-1 victory during the Showcase, Orlov made it through just the first period before leaving the game due to injury. Since then, Orlov has missed ten games– a month’s worth of action. Bears radio announcer and PR man Scott Stuccio told RMNB on Thursday night that the Novokuznetsk-native is not close to returning yet.

With the departure of veteran defenseman Dennis Wideman over the offseason, Orlov was expected to play big minutes on the Capitals third defensive pairing this season. Instead, he’s nursing what seems to be a long-term injury with a possible NHL season nearing. Few details have emerged on what Orlov’s injury is.

To try to figure out what’s going on, I reviewed tape of the AHL Showcase to see if I could pinpoint when and where the injury occurred. After re-watching the first period, I came to a few conclusions.

• Orlov did not leave  a shift early.
• Orlov had no apparent limp and did not favor a leg.
• On Orlov’s second to last shift, he absorbed a body check from two players.

With 4:47 left in the first period, Orlov led the Bears into Norfolk’s offensive zone. As the 21-year-old defenseman cut to the middle of the ice, he passed to a teammate. Then, six-foot four-inch, 250-lbs. Emerson Etem saw the play developing and prepare to hit Orlov. As the two players’ bodies met near the slot, Etem put his shoulder under Orlov’s chin, sending him airborne. Chris Wagner, trailing on the play, then collided with the airborne Orlov, cross-checking him in the head. Orlov fell to the ice, but quickly got up as the referees blew the play dead.

Photo Sequence of the Hit

Zoomed-In Shots

Orlov returned for one final shift, a penalty kill at the end of the first period. On that shift, he tried to block a Patrick Maroon shot from the perimeter. Maroon’s stick appears to get close to striking Orlov’s helmet, but after reviewing replays, I don’t think it hit him.

Orlov then skated off for a shift change, no worse for wear. After going into the Bears locker room, he did not emerge for the second period and has been scratched since.

Photo credit: Dynamo.ru

Playing overseas may keep some NHL players in top form during the lockout but the dreams of their general managers are haunted by a nightmare scenario — a serious injury to a star player.

Last Wednesday, Nicklas Backstrom was involved in frightening episode, in which he was checked from behind while playing for Dynamo Moscow. Backstrom, who missed three months last season with a concussion, went headfirst into the boards and left the game after trying to play one more shift. Dynamo called the injury a “neck bruise” and said the pivot should be good to go by the next game. As of the weekend, Backstrom saw at least two doctors, and a Russian newspaper report speculated that Nicky had traveled to America due to the injury’s severity. According to Nicky’s Swedish agent, Gunnar Svensson, that’s not true.

“Nicklas has not traveled to [the] US,” he said in a email to RMNB. “That’s wrong.”

“Nicklas has what you say — bruised neck,” Svensson added. “Hard to say about the recovery time. Day to day, maybe week to week.”

Marc Levine, Backstrom’s American agent, declined to comment.

The new recovery timeframe raises the possibility Backstrom may not be ready when — or if — the NHL season gets underway. With the drop-dead date in the league’s labor negotiations set for January 11, the season might get started around the 19th. If Nicky’s injury turns out to be on the long side of the expected healing time, he could miss the Capitals training camp and regular-season games. Washington is also dealing with an unspecified injury to Dmitry Orlov, who has not played for Hershey in almost a month.

The Caps could be back to playing hockey less than three weeks from now — it just might not be with all of their players.

Wheeee!!!!

While Dmitry Orlov is a defenseman who is known more for his offensive instincts, the 21-year-old Russian sure loves to hit too. Last season he crushed Blake Wheeler, Steve Downie, and Lars Eller all with devastating hip checks. And during Hershey’s second game of the season this year, he flipped a dude head over heels. Last night, during Teddy Bear Toss night at Giant Center, Orlov — apparently jealous of the fans — attempted to toss something over the boards too: Norfolk’s Jay Rosehill.

Video

As Hershey’s Ryan Potulny turned the puck over in the third period (on what may be the worst drop pass of all-time), Rosehill ambled up the ice staring at the puck in-between his skates. Um, big mistake. Orlov slowly lined-up the 216-pound enforcer (who’s fought Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton, and Krys Barch) and stuck his left shoulder into Rosehill’s chest. The collision sent Rosehill’s torso and head flying into his own team’s bench. As Rosehill’s legs met Orlov’s elbows when his ballistic body was at a 180-degree angle, he was sadly stopped from a complete bench-player deposit.

Now excuse me while I go hit the replay button on this YouYube for the next three hours.