Brooks Orpik: 'Just got the wind knocked out of me' on hit by James Neal

ARLINGTON, Va. - Social media was abuzz Saturday night about why the NHL concussion spotters didn’t pull Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik from Game 3 after he went down after a heavy hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward James Neal.

Orpik had a simple explanation Sunday — a blow to the head was not his issue.

"I just got the wind knocked out of me,” Orpik said. “It’s not a very good feeling when you can’t breathe, but that subsides pretty quickly.”

Orpik, a heavy hitter, was attempting to deliver a check to Neal, and Neal did a reverse hit and slammed into his torso.

Orpik said he was more disappointed in himself than in Neal “because I played three or four years with him in Pittsburgh and know he likes to do that.”

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"He tried to do that to me in Vegas and I got the better of him on that one,” Orpik said. “There was nothing wrong with that hit. I just took the worst of it.”

It has been a tough series for Orpik: He had to be stitched up after Game 2 in Las Vegas, though he also scored the winning goal in that game.