Jim Montgomery and the Boston Bruins featured two new additions against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
Defenseman Dmitry Orlov and winger Garnet Hathaway made their respective debuts for the Black and Gold at Rogers Arena after being acquired from the Washington Capitals just two days prior. And Orlov, specifically, made his presence felt as he played the second-most minutes among defensemen behind only Charlie McAvoy, including the second-most minutes on the penalty kill.
“Good. Real good,” Montgomery told reporters after Boston’s 3-1 victory when asked what he saw from the newcomers, per the Bruins. “Orlov made some special plays, special passes on breakouts, in neutral zone and in the offensive zone.”
Orlov spent the majority of his time on Boston’s third pairing with Derek Forbort. And while Orlov fared just fine on his off side, Montgomery admitted the preference would be for him to play on his dominant hand.
“Real smart hockey player,” Montgomery said of Orlov. “Smart hockey players know what they’re going to do with the puck before they get it, and he’s one of them.”
Orlov acknowledged how the quick turnaround wasn’t an ideal scenario given he and Hathaway arrived in Vancouver on Friday. The veteran blue liner shared how he was thankful for both Bruins teammates and coaches in helping him adjust. Orlov spent his previous 11 seasons with the Capitals.
“It means a lot to play with this new team, you know, I played for only one team for 11 years so it was different for me,” Orlov told reporters, per the Bruins. “It wasn’t easy but it was fun and good to get the win, a big two points. So it wasn’t a clean game, but still we found a way.”
In regards to his individual performance, Orlov acknowledged how he made a mistake on Vancouver’s lone goal (he finished minus-1), but confirmed he’s looking forward to adapting to Boston’s system.
“Obviously just tried to make simple plays and not try to do too much, make quick decisions,” Orlov said. “I did (have) mistake on goal, but next one I’m going to be better.”
Orlov and the Bruins will look to extend their winning streak to seven games Monday night when they continue their road trip against the Edmonton Oilers. NESN’s coverage of the game begins at 7:30 p.m. ET.
