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.
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It’s a Saturday Afternoon matinee as the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers.
#Caps50Facts
On November 26th, 2005, the New York Rangers hosted the Washington Capitals, and would feature the battle of the rookies as goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was establishing himself with the Rangers while forward Alex Ovechkin was off to a hot start for the Capitals.
Tied at two a piece, the game required the shootout, and it went a then record 15 rounds. Rangers defenseman Marek Malik scored with a slick puck between the legs shot to beat Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig to give the Rangers the 3-2 victory.
Jersey Tracking
Thoughts on the Game
I don’t know what it is about afternoon games, but the Capitals always come out a little sluggish, and after giving up the first goal of the game off of a gaffe by Logan Thompson, the Capitals responded with two of their own, and really never looked back. They were able to continue to grow their lead throughout the game, so when the Rangers did score, they had a cushion to work with.
Great seeing Alex Ovechkin netting his 872nd career goal, and second goal in two games at home. I’m really hoping he breaks the record and hit 900 goals this season. 50 goals would be a bonus.
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Game Recaps
Boston Fleet v. Minnesota Frost – 730p ET
In Minnesota, the Frost kick off 2025 with a matchup against the Boston Fleet, and after a scoreless first period Claire Butorac and Brooke Bryant scored to give the Frost the 2-0 lead. In the third period Hilary Knight netted her fourth of the season to get the Fleet back within one, but Brooke McQuigge’s tally would reclaim the two goal lead for the Frost. However, Susanna Tapani would score two goals late in the period to tie the game at three and force overtime for the Fleet. Then in the extra frame, Britta Curl-Salemme would score to give the Frost the 4-3 overtime victory over the Fleet.
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.
The Washington Capitals kick off 2025 with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild.
#Caps50Facts
From 1967 to 1993, Minnesota had the North Stars before they moved to Dallas. During their inaugural season, forward Bill Masterton scored the first goal in franchise history, but tragedy struck on January 13th, 1968 when Masterton fell backward and hit the back of his head on the ice leading to a “massive brain injury” and his death two days later.
Following Masterton’s passing, the hockey writers established the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. In 2009-10, Washington Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore earned the Masterton after having his best season since 2001-02 following his son Chase’s death in 2009 from complications stemming from his premature birth.
Jersey Tracking
Thoughts on the Game
This was an interesting game. While it was great to see Marc-Andre Fleury play his (what we all suspect is) final game in DC, and Alex Ovechkin continue his chase to pass Wayne Gretzky, the game felt a bit disjointed at times. And it’s weird to say that as both teams had really great chances, but at the end of the day, this game came to bounces and luck, and the Wild had both to take the 4-3 victory via the shootout.
Today the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced their Stars of the Month for the month of December 2024.
Alex Carpenter (F – NYS)
New York Sirens forward Alex Carpenter has been named a SupraStar of the Month for December, recording eight points (4G, 4A) in six games. Carpenter collected at least one point in each of New York’s games in the month, which ties her for the longest-ever point streak in a season. She leads the PWHL in goals (4) and is tied for first in the league in points (8), contributing to 44.4% of the Sirens’ goals to start the season. Additionally, her shot accuracy has been impressive with a 26.7% shooting percentage. With two game-winning goals—making her the only player in the PWHL with multiple game-winners this season—the 30-year-old helped New York achieve the third-highest winning percentage (.500) in December. Her month included a 58.7% faceoff win percentage on 109 attempts—good for a team-high 64 faceoff wins— while averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game.
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Sarah Fillier (F – NYS)
New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier, the first overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft, has made an immediate impact in her rookie season, recording eight points (3G, 5A) in her first six games as a pro. Her point total is tied for first in the PWHL, while her assists are third-most among all skaters. Fillier sits alone atop the rookie scoring race, with twice as many points as the next highest scorer in the category. Her debut month included back-to-back multi-point efforts to begin the season, including two assists in her pro debut against Minnesota where she assisted on the game-winning goal. In her second game of the month, Fillier recorded a season-high three-point game against Montréal, where she scored her first two PWHL goals— including a power player marker— to lead the Sirens to a 4-1 road victory. The 24-year-old has hit the scoresheet in five of her first six games in the PWHL, launched by a season-opening four-game point streak.
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Sarah Nurse (F – TOR)
Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse finished December as one of the league’s top three scorers. Nurse recorded six points (3G, 3A) in seven games, tying for the team lead in both points and goals. Her versatile play was on display in the month, as the forward recorded a power play goal and assist against Ottawa on Dec. 3, and a shorthanded ‘Jailbreak’ tally versus Boston on Nov. 30. Nurse has also been a driving force in the faceoff circle, taking a league-high 141 faceoffs—21 more than the next closest player—while maintaining a 51.1% success rate. Consistently making her presence felt, the 29-year-old had 21 shots on goal –– fourth most in the league––while averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game and recording at least a point in five of seven games to start the season.
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Jincy Roese (D – OTT)
Ottawa Charge defender Jincy Roese has been a force on the blue line this season, emerging as one of the top scoring defenders in the PWHL. Roese is second on her team in points with five (2G, 3A), placing her in the top 10 in league scoring and top three among all defenders. After going goalless in 24 games in the inaugural season, the 27-year-old has already hit the scoresheet twice through six games, including a power play marker against Toronto on Dec. 3. Her standout December also included a two-assist game against Minnesota on Dec. 19 and a game-winning goal with less than two minutes left in a pivotal matchup against Toronto on Dec. 31. Averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per game, Roese’s strong two-way play and ability to step up in key moments have made her an invaluable asset to the Charge, who currently sit in third place in the PWHL standings.
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Claire Thompson (D – MIN)
Minnesota Frost defender Claire Thompson has been a standout in the PWHL this season–– her first in the league after being selected third overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft. Thompson is tied for the league lead in points with eight (1G, 7A) while leading all players with seven assists, showcasing her ability to generate offense from the blue line. The 26-year-old recorded points in five of her six games played in December and is currently on a four-game point streak (1G, 6A). Her month was highlighted by her historic Dec. 19 performance against Ottawa, where she tied the PWHL record for most points in a single game with four (1G, 3A). Averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time per game, Thompson has been a critical presence for the Frost at both ends of the ice.
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Emerance Maschmeyer (G – OTT)
Ottawa Charge goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer has been a cornerstone for her team thus far, starting six of seven games while leading the PWHL in several key categories. Maschmeyer has played the most minutes in the league (361) and leads all goaltenders in save percentage (.938), shots against (194), and saves (182). She is also tied for first in both wins (3) and goals-against-average (2.00). The 30-year-old started the season by making a career-high 42 saves against Montréal, while her month was capped off with two regulation road wins; first, against New York on Dec. 29, then versus Toronto on Dec. 31, where she combined for 71 saves on 73 shots, achieving a .973 save percentage across the two games. The two wins propelled Ottawa to third place in the standings, with Maschmeyer backstopping the team to each of its 10 points earned in the month.
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*All Graphics and Pictures courtesy of the PWHL.
*Player Profiles written by PWHL Staff.
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Today the National Hockey League has announced the Stars of the Month for the month of December 2024.
First Star – Nathan MacKinnon (C – COL)
MacKinnon led the NHL with 7-18—25 in 13 games to lift the Avalanche (23-15-0, 46 points) into third place in the Central Division via a 10-3-0 month (20 points) – tied for the most wins and points in the League (w/ VGK: 10-2-0, 20 points). This marked the fifth time that MacKinnon has produced at least 25 points in a single calendar month, after December 2023 (11-18—29 in 15 GP), March 2024 (11-16—27 in 13 GP), January 2024 (12-14—26 in 12 GP) and November 2019 (10-15—25 in 14 GP). MacKinnon finished December 2024 among the League leaders in even-strength assists (1st; 13), even-strength points (1st; 20), assists (2nd; 18), shots on goal (t-6th; 52), even-strength goals (t-7th; 7) and plus/minus (t-7th; +11). He found the score sheet in 11 of his 13 appearances, ending the month on a five-game assist/point streak (Dec. 19-31: 1-10—11), and recorded seven multi-point performances – highlighted by his ninth career five-point outing, including his 600th NHL assist, Dec. 10 at PIT (1-4—5). The 29-year-old MacKinnon, the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner, tops the League with 47 assists and 61 points through 38 total contests this season (14-47—61).
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Second Star – Leon Draisaitl (C – EDM)
Draisaitl shared the League lead with 10 goals and ranked second with 24 points in 13 games (10-14—24) to propel the Oilers (22-12-3, 47 points) to a 9-3-1 month. He also placed among the top December performers in game-winning goals (t-1st; 3), even-strength points (t-3rd; 15), power-play points (t-3rd; 9), assists (t-6th; 14) and power-play goals (t-6th; 4), collecting points in all but his first outing of the month. Draisaitl notched eight total multi-point performances, including seven straight from Dec. 5-19 (6‑12—18), and reached the 900-point milestone Dec. 19 vs. BOS. At 751 games, he became the fourth-fastest active player to accumulate 900 points, behind only Connor McDavid (602 GP), Sidney Crosby (677 GP) and Nikita Kucherov (743 GP). The 29-year-old Draisaitl, who won the Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and Art Ross Trophy in 2019-20, paces the NHL with 27 goals (as well as 8 GWG) and sits second with 56 points through 37 total appearances this season (27-29—56).
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Third Star – Jacob Markstrom (G – NJ)
Markstrom went 8-1-1 with a 1.30 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and two shutouts in 10 games to help the Devils (24-13-3, 51 points) complete an 8-4-1 December. He yielded two or fewer goals in all but his final start of the month, highlighted by consecutive shutouts Dec. 21 vs. PIT (12 SV) and Dec. 23 vs. NYR (12 SV). Markstrom’s 139:35 shutout sequence from Dec. 17-27 was the second-longest of his NHL career, behind just a 144:46 run from Oct. 25 – Nov. 2, 2021 (w/ CGY). The 34-year-old Markstrom, who was acquired by New Jersey in June, owns a 19-7-2 record with a 2.15 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and three shutouts through 28 total appearances this season. He ranks second in the League in wins, second in goals-against average (minimum: 13 GP) and tied for second in shutouts.
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Fourth Star – Katrina Vlasich (Fan – CHI)
This month’s “Fourth Star” is Katrina Vlasich, who is known as the “mayor” at Chicago games because she makes everybody she meets at United Center feel like part of her Blackhawks family. Click here to watch a video that showcases the passion and energy Katrina brings to every game to provide her team with a “Fan Advantage.”
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* All Graphics Courtesy of the NHL, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils.
* Player Profiles written by NHL PR Staff.
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Today the National Hockey League has announced the Rookie of the Month for the month of December 2024.
Lane Hutson (D – MON)
Hutson edged San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (4-9—13 in 13 GP), Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (3-7—10 in 13 GP), Canadiens teammate Emil Heineman (4-5—9 in 14 GP) and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (4-1-1, 2.64 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO) for the honor.
Hutson also paced December rookies in assists (11), power-play assists (7), power-play points (7), average time on ice (21:18) and total time on ice (298:07). Only one rookie defenseman has recorded more assists or points for Montreal in a single calendar month: Chris Chelios, in both February 1985 (1‑14—15 in 12 GP) and December 1984 (1-13—14 in 15 GP).
Hutson found the score sheet in 10 of his 14 December appearances, producing two point streaks of five games: Dec. 1-9 (0-6—6) and Dec. 14-23 (2-5—7). The former extended his overall assist/point streak to seven contests (Nov. 27 – Dec. 9: 0-8—8), the longest by a rookie defenseman in franchise history ahead of Glen Harmon (Jan. 9-19, 1943: 2-5—7 in 6 GP) and Chelios (Dec. 16-27, 1984: 1-8—9 in 6 GP and March 1-14, 1985: 3-6—9 in 6 GP).
The 20-year-old Hutson, a second-round pick (62nd overall) from the 2022 NHL Draft, places third among rookies – behind only Michkov (12-17—29 in 36 GP) and Celebrini (12-15—27 in 28 GP) – with 2-24—26 through 37 total contests this season. He also ranks among the top rookies in assists (1st; 24), power-play assists (1st; 11), blocked shots (1st; 47), takeaways (1st; 17), average time on ice (1st; 22:26), total time on ice (1st; 830:10), power-play points (2nd; 11) and shots on goal (t-11th; 42).
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* All Graphics Courtesy of the NHL.
*Player Profile written by NHL PR Staff.
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