Alexander Ovechkin Stars, Caps Prove They're a Team

BOSTON -- On the first day in October, more than eight months before the Stanley Cup is rolled out to center ice, the Washington Capitals demonstrated in NHL Game No. 1 in Boston on Thursday night why they may be the Eastern standard.

These Capitals are not just Alexander Ovechkin, but a team constructed with precision from top to bottom.

The Washington superstar put on another magic show in the Capitals' 4-1 win in Boston -- earning another First Star, ho hum -- but it was far from a one-man production. His two goals came on splendid tape-to-tape passes, first from linemate Alexander Semin, later by defenseman Tom Poti. On both goals, Ovechkin outworked and out-muscled his coverage -- tonight was the Silence of Milan Lucic -- but he knows he's not getting world-class assistance if he's on just any team.

"I get the goals and a lot of the attention sometimes," said Ovechkin in a rare understatement, "but a game like tonight shows a lot about all the talent we have. I'm very lucky. You saw it tonight. Those guys are just sick players. These guys know how to get me the puck."

And they don't just get it to Ovechkin. His brilliant linemate, the still-rising 21-year-old Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom, had assists on the first three goals of the game. On the rare night when Ovechkin doesn't have it, Washington is deep enough for a different unsung hero to emerge. Thursday they had the best of both worlds; Ovechkin's pair of goals were equaled by second line left wing Brooks Laich.

The 26-year-old Laich, a former sixth-round pick dumped by Ottawa and plucked by Caps GM George McPhee in a string of unheralded but franchise-building moves, is a garbage man. Over the last two years he had 44 goals and could reach 30 in 2009-10. His goals Thursday were vintage Laich: "I got two goals from a combined two feet out of the net," he said with a laugh -- although his facts were accurate. Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau was happy for the grand-stage illustration that his team is not all about Ovechkin. "We've got guys on all four lines that know their roles," Boudreau said. "We've got guys that know how to play the game."

On the other end was Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore, showing more heart than anyone on the ice. The 32-year-old goalie is mourning the loss of his two-month old son, who died in August. Theodore was sharp from beginning to end, making 19 saves on 20 shots and controlling his rebounds. It was a remarkable debut under circumstances few could ever understand.

"I'm very lucky. You saw it tonight. Those guys are just sick players. These guys know how to get me the puck." -- Alexander OvechkinDuring training camp, Theodore spoke of the distraction of "being around the guys" and teammates like defenseman Brian Pothier talked about the Capitals as "an extended family" who "carry each other's burdens." After the victory Thursday, there was an admirably noticeable attempt to move on publicly, to keep the Theodore tragedy within the family. Boudreau said he was "really happy for him," but only in the context that his starter is sometimes a "much-maligned goalie," not a parent in pain.

Theodore also did not want to go there. "Tonight was about putting everything together with the guys in front of me," he said, "and respecting the game plan." Then he politely walked away, headed for a warm handshake from team owner Ted Leonsis and a quiet, proud celebration with his teammates.

This is what a true family does. This is how a successful franchise operates. This is how a perfectly-rebuilt hockey team becomes a contender.