(My Sportsbook) - The Capitals' success this season is largely dependent on the performances of three players -- Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig.

That's why it's so fitting that the trio played prominently in Washington's biggest win of the young season, Thursday night's 2-1 victory over the reigning Eastern Conference-champion Carolina Hurricanes. Jagr and Bondra both tallied second-period goals, and Kolzig turned in a 37-save performance.

The Hurricanes and Capitals, for all intents and purposes, are the only teams contending for the Southeast Division crown, thus every meeting will be imperative.

"It was playoff hockey," Kolzig said. "There's no secret that we're the two teams in the Southeast Division that people are picking to win. Not to take anything away from Tampa, Florida or Atlanta, but that's the way it is.

"We want to make up as much ground in October and November as we can so we don't have to play playoff hockey from January on."

The victory kept the Caps perfect in the young season, their first 3-0 start since 1997-98 -- when they capped off the campaign with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. The last two victories have been the first two installments of an eight-game trip, whereas last season they didn't win back-to-back away tilts until March 2.

"This feels great," Kolzig told the Washington Post. "All three games we came from behind and two were on the road. We're winning on the road, we won back- to-back games [over the weekend] and we're off to a 3-0 start. Everything is going in the right direction, but it's only three games in."

With a win on Saturday in Philadelphia the Capitals can match the best start in franchise history, a 4-0 tear that was last achieved in 97-98.

Jagr, hoping to forget about last season, has three goals in three games, as does the always potent Bondra. Newcomer Robert Lang, signed away from Pittsburgh this summer, is tied for the team lead in points with the duo, having dished out five assists.

UP NEXT

Washington resumes its lengthy trek with back-to-back matches in Philadelphia and Dallas this weekend, before heading to New York (Rangers), Tampa, Sunrise and Pittsburgh.