On Saturday night against the Islanders, the Caps did something they had not done in two weeks: trail in a game. They also did something they had not done all season, trail by two goals. Washington overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to take a 3-2 overtime win and finish up a perfect 2-0 road trip.

The Caps did not play their best hockey on the Island, and they have only occasionally flashed their best form through the season’s first 10 games.

“Potentially, I think we can be better,” says Caps forward Brooks Laich. “I think our new additions [forwards Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison] have been great. It has been a seamless transition for those guys. But I don’t think right now we’ve played our best hockey. We’ve seen glimpses of it.

“First game against Boston, I thought we played a very good hockey game. But since then, we’ve played a period well or a period and a half well, but we’ve never really put it all together. With our record, we are sitting first in our division so obviously we’re happy with that. But as far as how we’re playing, we’re not satisfied. I still think we have more to give.”

Laich is not alone in those thoughts.

“We haven’t played great,” says Knuble, “but I don’t feel we’ve been outplayed, either. Even in the games we lost, it was things that we did to ourselves: untimely penalties and poor penalty killing.”

“We’ve had some really great periods and we’ve had some that aren’t so great,” says right wing Matt Bradley. ‘But it’s nice to know that when we play well, we’re usually successful.”

Whatever woes are worrying Washington, the Caps can take comfort in the fact that they’ve rolled out to their best October record since 1997-98, and they’ve ensured a 13th straight month with a winning mark, adding to the franchise record.

“I’m pretty happy with where we are,” says Bradley. “Obviously there are a lot of things we need to work on and we need to tighten up. But for the first 10 games, Knuble and Morrison have been great additions and they’ve had a seamless transition into things.”

If the Caps are able to go 6-2-2 during a stretch in which they haven’t played their best, it’s somewhat tantalizing to think how good they might be when they are at the top of their game.

“Points-wise, we’re where we want to be,' says Caps coach Bruce Boudreau. 'I think it’s 114 points if we keep this up. I don’t think we’re as consistent as we want to be. Hopefully, that will get there as the season progresses. Every game takes on more importance and the players get more into the season. It’s still early.”