Swedish Cinnamon Bun

“[Orpik is] always watching [Burakovsky] at the dinner table, giving him the eye when he eats bread,” teammate Brett Connolly says.

“Orpy is always saying don’t eat too much pasta,” Burakovsky said. “When we eat pregame meals and I put dressing on the salad, he’s like, ‘Cut down on that a little bit.’”

It may sound harsh, but it’s all in good spirit – and all because Burakovsky asked for some help.

“He’s a guy who is always asking why he’s so tired,” Orpik says. “I know he gets enough sleep, so I told him it’s probably his diet. So I’ve tried to help him work on that.”

Says Burakovsky: “He’s the oldest player on the team. He’s been around awhile and he knows what it takes. He’s a true professional, the way he acts – he knows when to be serious, when to joke around, he has that on-and-off switch. But he’s also a professional for the way he takes care of his body after a game and in recovery, so I try to follow him and watch what he’s doing.”

If it seems like an odd couple – a methodical American defenseman nearing the end of his career and a speedy young European winger – well, it is. But the friendship, which straddles the line between older brother and nutritionist, illustrates why the Capitals are such a tight-knit group.

Brooks Orpik: TOUGH LOVE AND KALE.

Andre Burakovsky demands attention following Tom’s empty netter