WASHINGTON — The clock above centre ice at the Verizon Center showed 15:47 remaining in the first period Saturday night, but it’s a good bet that Olli Maatta didn’t know that.
As his teammates helped him off the ice and to the dressing room, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he didn’t even know what his name was, given the glazed look in his eyes and the wobbly state of his legs.
Just moments earlier, Maatta had absorbed a flagrant head shot from Capitals defenceman Brooks Orpik, who somehow tried to claim innocence to the officials while the Penguins defenceman lay dazed on the ice.