Brooks Orpik is owning up to his actions.
Suspended three games by the NHL for a late and high hit on Olli Maatta of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals defenseman didn't try to cast a silver lining around the incident.
Related: Penguins' Maatta ruled out of Game 3 with upper-body injury
"I think (the suspension) was fair," Orpik told reporters. "It was a bad hit. It was intended to be a hard hit, definitely not at his head, but I don't think there's anything you can argue that it was definitely late. That was pretty black and white. I said that during my hearing yesterday. I'm just disappointed. It's a split-second decision you make, and you've just got to live with it.
"That's about all I've got. It was a bad decision, it was late. There was obviously no intention to hit him in the head. That was the result, that's why I'm not playing."
Capitals head coach Barry Trotz wasn't quite as comfortable with the league's ruling.
Barry Trotz says Orpik's suspension is so long because the hit came against the #pens. Asked to clarify: "Take it for whatever you want."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 2, 2016
A victim of a head shot in the first round, Orpik said it was hard to watch Maatta struggle to get up and off the ice after the hit.
"I was in a similar spot two weeks ago," Orpik said. "It's tough hearing people try to say I was intentionally trying to hit him in the head. I've dealt with enough head and neck issues. That was tough to watch.
"Whatever they gave me was something I was just going to have to accept. Hopefully across the league, they start punishing everything else the same way."
Orpik will be eligible to return for Game 6 (if necessary), while Maatta has been ruled out of Game 3 but could return later in the series.
