Mike’s STH Xperience – A Rough Game 1

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Welcome to Mike’s Season Ticket Holder (STH) Xperience!

This season is my first one as a Season Ticket holder for the Washington Capitals, and in place of doing Caps Game Recaps, I’ll be sharing my experience being a STH during the 2024-25 season. Here I’ll be sharing all of the photos that I take during pregame warmups, along with any FB/IG Reels and TikToks I create at the games.

I will also be doing this for any other games I may go to, whether it’s in Hershey for the Bears, or at other NHL venues for games.

The Official Men’s Personal Care Products of TXHT.

It’s Game 1 of the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Washington Capitals faceoff with the Carolina Hurricanes.

#Caps50Facts

2025 will mark the second time the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes will meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the last time being in 2019. The First Round series saw both teams win their respective games at home, but things got heated in Game 4 when Capitals forward TJ Oshie was injured. At home for Game 5, the Capitals responded with a dominating 6-0 victory that featured a penalty shot goal from Nic Dowd.

In Game 7, the Capitals fell to the Hurricanes 4-3 in double overtime, ending their bid to become back to back Stanley Cup Champions.

Jersey Tracking

Thoughts on the Game

It’s time for Game 1 of Round 2, and this is a first for me. All of the playoff games I’ve been to so far have all been in the first round, so this is a special one for me, and who better than against the last team I saw in the playoffs back iin 2019, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Note: Before I became a season ticket holder, the last time I went to a playoff game was in 2019.

Heading into the first period, I felt some nerves, but as the game went on, they went away. Even when the Hurricanes were controlling the play and outshot the Capitals 12-5, I felt the Capitals were weathering the storm very well. Especially coming out of the first period scoreless.

In the second period, the Capitals woke up, and Aliaksei Protas scored his first goal of the playoffs to give the Capitals the 1-0 lead. Logan Thompson made some key saves and received some fortunate bounces to keep the Hurricanes off the board after 40 minutes of play.

In the third period, the Capitals did not look good at all. They would be outshot 11-3, and despite a strong early penalty kill that saw Nic Dowd make some really solid blocks, the Hurricanes would still strike as Logan Stankoven scored to tie the game at one. A late penalty kill by the Capitals would keep the Hurricanes off the board and force overtime with the 1-1 tie.

However, in overtime, the Hurricanes made quick work of the Capitals as Jaccob Slavin scored 3:06 into the extra frame to give the Hurricanes the 2-1 victory and the 1-0 series lead over the Capitals.

This was a disappointment, to say the least. The Capitals were out muscled and outplayed throughout the game. Game 2 needs to be a better showing for the Capitals.