Photo was touched up to remove the NHL executive handshake-passing the ref a 100-dollar bill. (Photo credit: Greg Fiume)

With their 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers in game seven, the Washington Capitals have been ungently booted from the postseason again. A period of healing and reconciliation now begins (also probably some suntans), but first we need to take a look at the sadness. The infinite, infinite sadness.

Let’s just take it all in, mope around for the next day or two like red-rocking Eeyores, and wallow in the wah wah wah (that’s what a sad trombone sounds like). It’s not fun; no, but we need to give the grieving process time to do its thing.

A rare moment in which Ribeiro stank both literally and figuratively? (Photo credit: Greg Fiume)

Clockwise, starting from Ovi: Stunned, annoyed, yawning, guffawing, free agent-y, and totally over this crap. (Photo credit: USA Today)

Oh great, next time you wanna be super-depressed, you don’t have to watch Requiem For a Dream. You can just pop open this GIF and save yourself two hours. (GIF by SBNation.com)

“Boredom is the root of all evil, the despairing refusal to be oneself”. – Kierkegaard (Photo credit: @dcsportsbog)

Sad dad. Sad dad. Sad dad. (Photo credit: @recordsANDradio)

Oh criminy, now we are zooming in on sad dad? Have you no decency, cameraman? (Photo credit: @dcsportsbog)

“I know it was you, Henrik. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!” (Photo credit: Patrick McDermott)

“Well son, since you haven’t learned to respect your elders, it’s time you learn to respect your betters.” (Photo credit: Alex Brandon)

This handshake nearly caused a goals-versus-threshold singularity that would have swallowed Marc-Andre Fleury whole. (Photo credit: Patrick McDermott)

The Building of America’s Hockey Capital is running a bit late and over-budget. (Photo credit: Alex Brandon)

ARE YOU KIDDING. DUDE, THIS IS THE SADDEST THING EVER. CANNOT EVEN CAPTION THIS. WOW. WOW. (Photo credit: Alex Brandon)

Someone in the press corps just told Oates that Sun-In Hair Lightener is no longer in fashion. And that punk is dead. (Photo credit: Nick Wass)

How this guy got no points in seven games is a puzzle for the ages. (Screengrab via Monumental Network)

Karl Alzner forced to stand by silently while his beard conducts a lengthy interview. (Screengrab via Monumental Network)

Green looks like a tougher and only slightly sadder version of the singer from Brand New. Who sucks by the way. (Screengrab via Monumental Network)

Mama Backstrom is disappointed in her son’s play, sure. But his facial hair is an outright disgrace to the family name. (Screengrab via Monumental Network)

No snarky caption. This guy is boss. Plus: hands-down best neckbeard on the team. (Screengrab via Monumental Network)

The sadness will pass soon. Try to put a smile on your face. And keep your head up. <3 RMNB.

Maria with her Slapshot stuffed animal. Dad gives thumbs up. (GIF by welshhockeyfan)

Attending Saturday’s Washington Capitals game, Alex Ovechkin’s fiancée Maria Kirilenko got a special treat. Ovi scored a hatty for the first time in over two years.

While CSN Washington didn’t pan to Kirilenko sitting in the lower bowl, the Devils broadcast on MSG drank from the Ovi-Kirilenko well a lot. They zoomed in on her celebrating with Ovi’s father Mikhail (giving the thumbs up) after Ovechkin’s third goal. MSG’s Deb Placey interviewed Kirilenko during the second period, after Ovi scored his first goal of the night.

Warning: The video is adorable. Risk of hurling unicorns and rainbows is likely in some patients.

Does Alex play better when you’re here? He’s already scored today.

Well, hopefully he’s playing better. When he’s on my side, watching my games, I’m definitely playing better. Today when he scored, I was so happy! It’s really nice.

You got engaged on New Years, which is a big holiday I understand in Russia. It was different because he was home for the first time in a long time on New Years Eve.

It was the first time for me as well. For a long time, I didn’t celebrate the New Year at home. It was amazing. Our family was together, you know, and it was a surprise for them. The father of Alex he was crying, and even I was crying. It was really exciting time.

Is it more nerve-racking to play your own game or watch [Ovi]?

Umm, when you play, you’re more relaxed. You just, you can’t help. You just wanna do something. Of course I feel more nervous watching.

Well I don’t think you’re going to be able to leave, since he has the goal today. Thanks so much for the visit. Congratulations to you two.

Thank you.

Placey makes a good point. Maria, please adjust your schedule and attend every game. You are crucial to our plans for the Cup.

Also this.

And this.

After Caps practice concluded today, players and team members were treated to a free skate in which they could bring their friends and family onto the ice. The one person who seemed to have the most fun was none other than Alex Ovechkin, who celebrated the Russian New Year on the Winter Classic ice at 4pm.

Ovi began the free skate by pulling his non-hockey-playing brother Mikhail along with a stick. Next, he set his sights for Alex Semin’s young niece and gave her a trek across the ice on top of his shoulders. After noticing a few kids throwing a football around, Ovechkin got into the action and threw the ball to the kids the entire length of the ice. Several times the bouncing football almost hit one of the NHL Network’s reporters on live TV. Finally, Ovechkin concluded his skate by giving George McPhee’s son, Graham, a wedgie we’re sure he’ll remember for life.

Since we figured you’d want to actually see all of this, the photos and video are below the jump. Enjoy.

Ovi has fun with his brother.

Alex Ovechkin skates with Alex Semin’s Niece.

Ovi plays football with the kids.

Ovechkin delivers a wedgie to GMGM’s son.

Bonus! Video of Ovi epicly taking to the Winter Classic Ice for the first time this morning.

Sunday per Championat.ru, Washington Capitals Superstar Alex Ovechkin and recently-signed New Jersey Devil Ilya Kovalchuk held a charity hockey game at Sokolniki Arena in downtown Moscow. The reason? To raise money for the children affected by the terrible wildfires in Russia this summer. The high-scoring match ended in a 13-13 tie and raised 13,870,000 ruble or $451,900 American Dollars for the children’s fund.

Both teams were filled with past and present Russian Hockey Legends including on Team Kovlachuk: Evgeni Malkin, 2-time Stanley Cup Champion Vyacheslav Fetisov, and Dominik Hasek. Meanwhile Team Ovechkin featured Nikolai Zherdev and Vladimir Myshkin. Also, many Russian political figures participated in the game who were spread across both rosters.

Several famous Russian celebrities also showed up to support the game. The most notable of such was Leonid Yakubovich, host of the Russian Version of the “Wheel of Fortune.” Leonid is generally considered the most well-known television personality in the country. You can actually see him posing in a photo (center) with Alex’s Dad, Mikhail Ovechkin (right), below.

Three 15 minute periods were played in the charity game and both “Kapitans” fared well: Ovechkin managed to score two goals while Ilya Kovalchuk had a hat trick. At the end of the third period, Team Ovechkin “won” 9-7. However, since it is customary that charity games in Russia always end in a tie, the teams agreed to have a fourth period. The game-tying goal was eventually scored by Evgeni Malkin.

Naturally, the final score of the game was secondary to the reason for the event in the first place. Over 15,000 people have died in Russia this summer from the heat-wave and its subsequent wildfires and smog. And we here at RMNB couldn’t be more proud of Ovi for putting his celebrity to good use and bringing so many influential people together. The money raised will ultimately make a huge difference in the lives of others who have suffered through an unimaginable tragedy.

Additional Photos

Video

If you’d like to read up more about the match and see some post-game quotes from the players, check out Alex Ovetjkin’s brilliant recap.