Alex Ovechkin and Protas brothers go wild after Ovi Jr scores goal from his office in youth hockey game
Alex Ovechkin celebrates his teammates’ goals as much as his own — and that also extends to his sons, too.
Sunday, Ovi attended Sergei Ovechkin’s youth hockey game at MedStar Capitals Iceplex and brought several friends along to serve as part of the cheering committee:
In an adorable clip posted by Nastya Ovechkina on Instagram Story, Sergei scored after being camped out in his mini office, sending the three Capitals on the bench into a huge celebration.
All three players clapped and raised their arms in celebration — all for Ovi Jr.
Sergei could be seen wearing his father’s signature yellow laces in his skates. He was also not wearing no. 8 — he was rocking no. 18, potentially a nod to the fact he’s next in line in the Ovechkin lineage or a reminder to Washington Capitals scouts at what age they can select him in the NHL Draft.
The goal video comes a little over a week after the Ovechkins went viral for playing some hallway hockey inside their house with Rasmus Sandin.
While the Capitals captain has been active off the ice — including releasing a second cereal — he hasn’t been on it much to start training camp. Sunday, Ovechkin missed his fourth consecutive on-ice session due to a lower-body injury. He did not travel with the team to Boston for their first preseason game against the Bruins.
He did make his presence known at the team’s practice rink, though, banging on the glass to say hi to the media.
Alex Ovechkin remains out with lower-body injury
The Capitals are set to kick off their preseason against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, but the team’s non-game group got in some competition of their own back home. Players not participating in the preseason tilt spent Sunday morning at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, hitting the ice for an intrasquad scrimmage between Team Red and Team White.
Captain Alex Ovechkin did not play in the scrimmage and remains out with a lower-body injury, though he was present at the team’s facilities Sunday morning. After leaving the first skate of training camp early on Thursday, Ovechkin has yet to return to the ice, with head coach Spencer Carbery labelling the injury day-to-day.
Martin Fehervary and Justin Sourdif, who have both been participating in camp in no-contact jerseys, also did not dress for the scrimmage.
Browns Make Joe Flacco Decision After Beating Packers
The Cleveland Browns made their stance on Joe Flacco clear following a gritty 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Cleveland’s offense sputtered for much of the afternoon, failing to score until late in the fourth quarter. Andre Szmyt broke the drought with a 35-yard field goal at the 3:38 mark, and a Grant Delpit interception set up rookie Quinshon Judkins for a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
Green Bay nearly had the final say, lining up for a potential game-winning kick with under a minute left. But the Browns blocked it, giving Szmyt one more chance. The rookie kicker delivered, drilling a 55-yarder as time expired to secure the dramatic victory.
Despite the win, Flacco’s play remained a central storyline. The 40-year-old struggled to move the offense, finishing 21 of 36 for 142 yards with an interception — his fifth turnover in three games.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged the offensive inconsistency but said he never considered benching Flacco in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel to provide a spark.
“I’m just focusing on doing what I think is best for the team,” Stefanski said of his reasoning to stick with Flacco.
Stefanski emphasized that injuries along the offensive line, particularly at tackle, only magnified the challenges of going up against a stout Packers defensive front.
“That’s a great defense. I’m confident saying that’s a great defense. We had injuries early to our tackles,” Stefanski said. “They made life really hard.”
Browns QB Joe Flacco: ‘It Wasn’t Pretty’
The game was not an offensive showcase. Neither side cracked 230 total yards. Flacco admitted playing in that type of game isn’t easy, but he’s focused on playing his role.
“It’s hard. It’s hard to go out there and play in games like today,” Flacco said. “But that’s what football is sometimes. With the type of defense we have, it’s about going out there and capitalizing on turnovers and not making mistakes. It wasn’t pretty today. It was tough and there were times down the field where guys were open but I just didn’t make it happen. You feel for the group as a whole. Everyone wants to go out there and perform and put up numbers, points, yards, all that stuff. Part of your job as a quarterback is to get that done. But also, your job is to win a football game and play your role.”
The Browns’ offense was showered with boos in the second half as the scoreboard stayed stuck at zero. Even in his 18th season, Flacco acknowledged the noise still gets to him.
“You’re a person. You’re human. It hurts you a little bit and you want to react to it. But you can’t,” Flacco said. “Being a pro and being in this sport, you can’t be that guy. You will not survive. We’re all human and it affects people. But you have to be able to rally, at least fake it, and bring it to life.”
Browns Considered Starting Dillon Gabriel Against Packers
Through three games, Flacco has passed for 631 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He also had a fumble returned for a touchdown against the Ravens during a 41-17 blowout.
The Browns at least considered making a chance to Gabriel in the week leading up to the Packers game, per Brad Stainbrook.
“Earlier this week, Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees spent much of Monday in meetings weighing whether to hand the job to rookie Dillon Gabriel, per league sources close to the situation,” Stainbrook said. “The staff ultimately decided to stick with Flacco for another week, but the leash is short.”
The Browns head to Detroit next week with a chance to move to .500. Coming off the win, Cleveland will likely continue rolling with Flacco.
