Washington and Pittsburgh met up Saturday in the early afternoon, opening a slate of two consecutive matchups scheduled between the clubs.
Visiting Pittsburgh, the Capitals took that initial rivalry installment by a 6-3 margin while a number of the hosts' regulars were scratched with nagging ailments. Counted among those sidelined was the standout Russian pivot Evgeni Malkin. As it has now come to light, he made his way to the nation's capital ahead of the series finale; the trip surfaced through a Story posted to Instagram by Nastya Ovechkina, wife of Alex Ovechkin.
The clip captures Malkin in a corridor hockey session with Ovechkin's young sons, namely Sergei plus Ilya. Soon after, yet another set of hockey-playing siblings, Aliaksei Protas and brother Ilya Protas, reach the household and dive into the action.
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Playing host to Malkin allowed Ovechkin to reciprocate the welcome he received Friday evening across the state line. Right ahead of the squads becoming adversaries again, a sizable contingent of players from both benches tracing their roots to Russia and Belarus gathered to dine.
With a home skate behind them, the Capitals took their quick trip up the road Friday, an outing that gave Ovechkin, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and the pair of Protas brothers time alongside the visiting duo of Ilya Solovyov and Malkin. This rivalry-spanning gathering made it onto Instagram by way of George Makricostas, who suits up for Greece internationally and additionally handles the marketing slate of Malkin plus a handful of other Pittsburgh skaters.
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For years, Malkin has routinely opened his doors for Capitals-Penguins get-togethers. The most notable case dates to 2023, when an evening meal at his home pulled in Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Alexeyev, the senior Protas, plus Ovechkin.
The veteran pivot has built a strong bond with Ovechkin, once his fierce adversary, a relationship that has especially deepened as both men have aged. The pair even swapped jerseys following a Caps-Pens matchup in November.