Capitals Look to Build on Fast Start

As the quarter mark of the NHL season nears, the Washington Capitals find themselves in an unfamiliar position: off to a good start. Through 17 games, they have a record of 10-4-3 and have gained points in seven games in a row. But the truest measure of how far the players and coaches have come is this: They aren't satisfied yet.

The Capitals are in first place in the Southeast Division, and more importantly, are within striking distance of first place in the Eastern Conference. A player named Alex leads them in scoring, except it's not the Alex most casual fans would probably think of. Alexander Semin entered last night's games tied for the league lead in goals (13) and second in points (27), a surprising outburst that carried the Capitals while Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom struggled early.

Four players -- Semin, Ovechkin, Mike Green and Backstrom -- rank among the top five in plus-minus rating. Green is third among defensemen in goals (six), goaltender Brent Johnson is tied for fourth in save percentage (.931) and left wing Tomas Fleischmann (six goals) is more than halfway to last year's total of 10. This Capitals team is also the second fastest to 10 victories in franchise history (the 1991-92 team did it in three fewer games), and it's one of just two in the NHL with only one home loss (7-0-1).

In other words, these Capitals, so far, are living up to the lofty expectations heaped upon them after last year's memorable late-season run.

But in an interview Monday, Coach Bruce Boudreau said he's not satisfied, a sentiment echoed by the words emblazoned on T-shirts worn by his players: "Good is not good enough."

This week a year ago, the Capitals were in the midst of a season-threatening slump that culminated with the firing of Glen Hanlon as coach. These days, the prevailing sentiment in the locker room is that the team has yet to hit its stride, even during a 5-0-2 run over its past seven games.

"We're in first now, but we've got to keep our foot on the gas or teams are going to catch up," Boudreau said.

Asked where the Capitals need to improve over the next quarter, Boudreau was blunt.

"We can improve everywhere," he said.

Among the items high on his list of concerns:

· Goaltending. When the Capitals signed José Theodore as a free agent in July, the expectation was that he would be the team's undisputed No. 1 goalie. But a month into the season, he has yet to seize the job. Though he has played better in the past two games, Theodore has been outperformed by Johnson, who has as many victories (five) in three fewer starts. "You have to give Brent great marks, and Theo, he's played great for us and he's had a couple of bad games," Boudreau said. "But the bad games are getting less and less."