Brooks Orpik (upper body) participated in morning skate Thursday, making him very likely to play in the evening's Game 1, semifinal match against the Penguins, CSN's Chuck Gormley reports.

Orpik (upper body) participated in morning skate Thursday, making him very likely to play in the evening's Game 1 against the Penguins, CSN Mid-Atlantic's Chuck Gormley reports.

Analysis:

Orpik still has to be medically cleared to play in the upcoming contest, but that seems imminent based on how the veteran defenseman practiced in normal gear Tuesday and was on the ice yet again Thursday morning. This news holds more weight to the actual team than fantasy owners, as Orpik only produced 26 points over the last two regular-season campaigns with the Caps.