

Photos: Amanda Bowen

On Tuesday, the Capitals returned to practice for the second time since the All-Star break. Brooks Orpik rejoined the team for his first practice since sustaining his lower-body injury on November 10th. There was a roar of cheers and stick taps from the boys for his long awaited return.

Post drills, Evgeny Kuznetsov worked with Blaine Forsythe on face-offs, having teammates like Zach Sill and Michael Latta attempt to win the puck from him. When Alex Ovechkin stepped up to the challenge, Kuznetsov grinned, ready to take on the Proud Papa he’d paid homage to during the All-Star Skills Competition over the weekend. The two went at it until Ovechkin took the win and threw his arms up to celebrate. A fan watching by the glass joined by putting his arms up to match Ovechkin.

There were plenty of playful shoves and silliness to go around for your enjoyment: