A lockout plus

Wednesday, 02 January 2013 13:28

Written by Dave Molinari

Don't get the wrong idea.

Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik isn't happy that the NHL has been shut down by a lockout since mid-September, that there's still not guarantee that even a portion of the 2012-13 season will be saved.

Nonetheless, Orpik acknowledged after a player-organized workout at Southpointe today that going so long without games has been a plus for him, in at least one way.

For after going through back-to-back offseason regimens that were designed primarily to help him recover from surgeries, Orpik has been able to focus on the best ways to prepare himself for when the games begin.

"I'm kind of sick of working out, but I'm getting a lot of strength back that I've missed," he said. "I hadn't really had a good summer (of conditioning).

"The last two summers were just doing rehab stuff; it really wasn't preparing for the season at all. Then you get to the season and you're good enough to play, so you never want to use it as an excuse, but you're kind of just ... it's almost like you didn't work out during the summer. It's tough."

Since the end of last season, however, Orpik has been able to "get back to the stuff I normally do," and he expects that to be reflected in his work.

"I just feel better, power-wise and speed-wise, now," he said. "Hopefully, it shows up when we start playing. If we ever do."