Capitals’ Brooks Orpik snapped a more than two-year goal drought in Game 2

It’s been more than two years since Brooks Orpik scored a goal in the NHL, and he just broke that slump at the best possible time in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

February 26, 2016 was 824 days ago. That’s about two years and a quarter, and a lot has happened since then. It’s also the last time Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik scored a goal in the NHL.

Orpik is the most polarizing member on the Capitals roster to Capitals fans. You either love his leadership and his physical play, or you hate his lack of speed and his albatross contract. No matter the opinion, Orpik is beloved by everybody within the organization and has been quoted to be a father figure to almost everybody in the locker room. He earned the right to be alternate captain through his off-ice leadership, not performance.

On February 26, 2016, the Washington Capitals played the Minnesota Wild at home. At 0:49 of the second period, Orpik wound up for a shot and fired it toward the net, tipping it off of a Minnesota defenseman and into the net for his second goal in as many games. His last goal came against the New Jersey Devils just six days earlier, his first ever regular season game winning goal.

Since then, Orpik hasn’t been lucky enough to even get a bounce his way for 221 games. In the postseason, Orpik had never scored a playoff goal with the Capitals and his last came April 21 2014 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fun fact: One of Brooks Orpik’s three playoff goals was a series winner in overtime in Game 6 of the Penguins 2013 first round series with the New York Islanders.

Tonight, however, Orpik got the bounce he has waited years for.

At 9:41 of the second period in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, Orpik took a drop pass from Lars Eller and just let the puck fly on net. The puck bounced through the traffic and finally took a lucky skip on the ice for Oprik, and it fooled Fleury to give the Capitals a 3-1 lead. Every Capitals player went berserk at the sight of one of their leaders finally breaking through, and that goal could not have come at a better time.

Next: Every current NHL franchise’s most beloved head coach

Love him or hate him, Orpik scoring a goal is a huge morale booster for the Capitals roster. He was due one way or another, and it’s got to feel good for him to get that monkey off his back at such an important time.

For more from the NHL playoffs, make sure to follow FanSided and stay tuned to our NHL hub for all the latest news and results.