Bruins’ Dmitry Orlov makes instant impact; scores 2 goals in first period against Flames

© (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP) Dmitry Orlov has quickly established himself as a key cog on Boston’s blue line.

Dmitry Orlov seems to be settling right in with his new team in Boston.

Linus Ullmark (54 saves) deserves most of the credit for the Bruins’ dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over the Flames on Tuesday. But Orlov was one of the few conduits of offense on a sluggish night for most of the B’s roster.

In 22:27 of ice time, Orlov recorded three points against Calgary, including two goals in the first period and the primary assist on Pavel Zacha’s equalizer in the third.

Through just nine periods of hockey with the Bruins, Orlov has now scored two goals and posted five points.

The 31-year-old blueliner’s first tally in a black-and-gold sweater was a thing of beauty.

After taking a feed from Hampus Lindholm, Orlov glided through the neutral zone and crossed into the Flames’ end of the ice. With Noah Hanifin backing off and creating a runway down the slot, Orlov cruised into Grade-A ice and snapped a puck past Dan Vladar’s blocker to give Boston a 1-0 lead at 4:47.

The B’s top deadline pickup was not finished with his offensive salvo against Vladar. Less than 10 minutes later, Orlov was in the right place at the right time off an O-zone faceoff.

Following a Patrice Bergeron win at the dot, the skittering puck bounced off Jake DeBrusk and soared out into no man’s land.

But Orlov was in proper position to uncork a shot from outside the slot. Before Dillon Dube could get in front of the bruising offering, Orlov’s shot beat Vladar clean, doubling Boston’s lead.

Orlov was not done. After a two-goal flurry by Dube and Jonathan Huberdeau gave Calgary a 3-2 lead in the third period, Orlov set up Zacha for a power-play tally with 5:53 left in regulation to force overtime.

Thanks to Ullmark’s stout play between the pipes and Orlov’s playmaking prowess, Boston managed to capture two points in a game where they were outshot, 57-20. Charlie McAvoy eventually ended things with five seconds left in the extra frame, giving Boston its eighth win in a row.

It’s been an impressive start to Orlov’s tenure in Boston, with the puck-moving D-man showcasing his talents by taking the lion’s share of head-to-head minutes with Connor McDavid on Monday. 

Along with corralling some of the Oilers’ big guns in Boston’s 3-2 win over Edmonton, Orlov recorded a pair of helpers off of some poised passing sequences all across the frozen sheet. 

“I thought he was really good — first period, he was spectacular,” Jim Montgomery said of Orlov’s play on Monday. “He made a couple of plays, it was like, ‘Wow” — in the D zone and the offensive zone.”

Orlov is the first Bruins defenseman to score two goals in one game this season. 

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