When John Tortorella compares Brooks Orpik to a creature that went extinct 65 million years ago Authentic Blake Wheeler Jersey , he means it affectionately.“He’s a little bit of a dinosaur because he hits, and there isn’t a lot of hitting in this game,” Tortorella said.Orpik, who helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup last season and played his 1,000th NHL regular-season game Tuesday, is certainly a rarity. Big, rugged, defensive defensemen are going the way of prehistoric animals, mask-less goaltenders, helmet-less skaters and enforcers, except the ones like Orpik who have adapted to keep pace with the speed of modern hockey.“I think if you don’t adapt to where the league’s going, then you’re pushed out,” Orpik said. “If you weren’t willing to adjust how you trained or maybe shed some weight, that would push you out of the league. … There’s that and there’s obviously more of an emphasis on being able to move the puck up quickly.”NHL teams are looking for the next Erik Karlsson or Thomas Chabot, smaller, more mobile defenseman who can lead the rush and pile up the points. Slower, play-it-safe defensemen like 6-foot-7, 245-pound Hal Gill don’t roam the ice anymore, and those players must approach the game differently.“I’ve heard people come up and say, ‘Hey, my kid plays just like you,'” Gill said. “And I’m like, ‘Well, you better change quick.'”Tortorella http://www.officialhockeyjetsshop.com/authentic-adidas-bryan-little-jersey , who coached Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup in 2004 and is in his fourth season with Columbus, sees value in big “miserable” defenders who can play a tough game. He believes the loss of that kind of player has contributed to an increase in scoring over recent years — which is what the NHL wants at the expense of old-school muscle.Players like Orpik and St. Louis’ Robert Bortuzzo are far less prevalent than when Gill stayed in the NHL for 16 years from the late 1990s through 2013. Bortuzzo thinks the term “stay-at-home” doesn’t apply anymore; even slow defensemen have to do more than just sit back, hit and defend like they used to.“‘Defensively conscious’ would probably be a better term nowadays and one that fits the game,” the 6-4, 216-pound Bortuzzo said. “At this stage of the game, you need to be able to join the rush, you need to be able to move pucks. … The days of a defenseman not being able to skate and keep up with the pace of play is done. Guys are too fast and moving too quick.”No one’s confusing Orpik, Bortuzzo, Vegas’ Deryk Engelland or Buffalo’s Zach Bogosian for speed demons, but puck moving helps those players stay in the NHL. Bortuzzo said his focus has always been on his skating, and similarly Orpik and Boston’s Zdeno Chara have worked with skating coach Adam Nicholas to adapt.Even if they can’t get markedly faster, they can better manage their skates and sticks and use their size as an advantage.“What I work on with those guys a ton is just always giving them good footwork-type drills and suggestions to allow them to still be able to control space and tempo,” Nicholas said. “What we talk a lot about is continuing to be puck-moving machines and how to always stack decks in your favor to have time and space, control it and transition pucks very quickly.”Todd Reirden, during his time as a Penguins assistant, helped Orpik evolve from a hit-seeking missile to a defensive stalwart. Orpik began picking his spots for hits and using his stick more to defend.“That has allowed him to still have the physical element when he needed to around the net front against some of the skill guys,” said Reirden, who now coaches Orpik with the Capitals. “He’s been able to really change his game to fit into today’s hockey.”Orpik cites former Pittsburgh teammate Kelly Buchberger as the greatest influence on him as a young player. Buchberger hasn’t played since in 2004 but has since seen Orpik become an example for younger players of the same ilk.“Players have to adjust to the new rules in the game. He’s adjusted very well,” said Buchberger, a retired winger who coaches the Western Hockey League’s Tri-City Americans. “If you have players like that, you don’t want to get rid of those players.”Coaches and teammates all love guys who save goals with blocked shots, big hits and provide some snarl. Gill sees value in the kind of simplicity Hall of Fame Nicklas Lidstrom played with, and having contrasting styles on the blue line allows skilled, jump-up-in-the-play defensemen to take some more risks and score goals.“They’re a real good safety valve a lot of time for D-men who do want to get up the ice and move the puck Womens Connor Hellebuyck Jersey ,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “You can’t just have offensive defensemen throughout your lineup. You want to have guys who will take care of the back end. You need guys that can play both ends of the ice.”BOB BACK IN BLUEThe Columbus Blue Jackets made quick work of an “incident” involving goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky last week after he was pulled from a game at Tampa Bay, punishing him by making him miss a game, meeting with him and getting him back with the team the next morning. Captain Nick Foligno said the leadership group, coaching staff and front office are adept at pushing aside distractions — which is important given that Bobrovsky and scoring winger Artemi Panarin could be free agents this summer.“No matter who it is, it’s all right, we’re going to handle the situation and get back to what really matters and that’s trying to win hockey games,” Foligno said. “We’re trying to win hockey games, trying to become a Stanley Cup champion and nothing’s going to get in the way of that. That’s kind of the message for everybody.”POWERFUL PACIFICThe first-place Calgary Flames have won five in a row, the San Jose Sharks seven in a row and the Vegas Golden Knights eight of their past 10. Move over, Central Division, the Pacific is where the power is out West, especially with San Jose rolling behind Erik Karlsson.“Our game’s in a good spot,” Sharks captain Joe Pavelski. “The standings are tight. You see Calgary winning every night, you see Vegas winning every night. You throw us in there. We’ve been on a good stretch.”GAME OF THE WEEKThe Winnipeg Jets visit the Nashville Predators on Thursday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the Central Division.LEADERS (through Tuesday)Goals: Alex Ovechkin (Washington), 33; Assists: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), 53; Points: Kucherov, 75; Ice time: Drew Doughty (Los Angeles), 26:42; Wins: Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas), 26; Goals-against average: Robin Lehner (N.Y. Islanders), 2.16; Save percentage: Jack Campbell (Los Angeles), .930. CALGARY, Alberta — The Boston Bruins, led by one of the NHL’s hottest lines, will kick off a four-game road trip when they take on the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday.After losing their first game of the season 7-0 on the road to the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals on Oct. 3 Dmitry Kulikov Jersey , the Bruins bounced back with four straight wins.“We needed to take care of business at home this week after our start and I think we did a good job with that,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We got progressively better away from the puck, which led us to be a lot better with the puck. We’re finishing well obviously. The top line’s scoring. Our power play’s contributing. Now you take it on the road. Calgary’s played well.”Article continues below ...Boston’s top line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand has been tough to contain during their four-game winning streak. After being the named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday, Bergeron was quick to pass along credit to Pastrnak and Marchand as well.“Playing with some pretty amazing linemates helps a lot,” said Bergeron, who is off to a great start to the season with five goals and six assists in his team’s first five outings. “When it happens like that you just kind of go with it. You just ride the wave, I guess. We had some chemistry as soon as we started skating together. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s some pretty special chemistry we have going on.”Calgary coach Bill Peters said the Flames will definitely have to be wary of the talented trio every time they’re on the ice for the Bruins.“It’s a really good line — arguably one of the best lines in the league — and they’ve got a lot of different things that compliment it,” Peters said. “Bergeron’s one of the best 200-foot players in the history of the game and then obviously Pastrnak’s a young guy coming into his own offensively and Marchand’s relentless and has way more skill than people think, so it’s a real good line.“We’ve got to make sure they spend some time in their own zone, too. It’s not always about just defending against good lines. You’ve got to make them play in their own zone.”Forward Sean Monahan agreed with Peters that he and his teammates need to keep close tabs on the likes of Bergeron, Pastrnak and Marchand.“Especially that top line, we’ve got to be aware of them,” Monahan said. “We’ve got to stick to our game plan and worry about ourselves. I think we’ve got a good team, a lot of skill, and can put the puck in the net. I think we’ve just got to play smart and work hard.”After blocking a shot during Calgary’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Saturday night, Monahan took a well-deserved day off Monday before returning to practice with the Flames at the Saddledome on Tuesday.“It was nice to get a little rest,” said Monahan, who set up linemate Johnny Gaudreau’s overtime goal Saturday. “We obviously have three days in between games and that’s big. I felt good and it was nice to get back out there.“I just got it on the side of my foot,” added Monahan in regard to his injury. “It was an uncomfortable spot. It feels good now and I’m happy to be back out there with the guys.”