…and that’s the last time I use that word for awhile, I swear.

So many points in this game had us just shaking our heads, grinning and saying “it’s almost not fair”. The passing, the skating, the scoring, the breakaways, the sheer talent – wave after wave of Caps were finding the back of the net over and over again. Having a 5 goal lead after only two periods is really just ridiculous. In a deliciously good way.

Now, it is a little frustrating to see a 6-1 lead start to evaporate in the late stages of the game, particularly to a team that doesn’t have a ton of offensive ability to begin with. Still, you can almost forgive it – or at least understand it – based on how this season has started. The Caps had outscored their opponents 10-2 through the first five periods of the ‘09-’10 season. To let up a bit, to relax, is human.

Just as long as they keep those moments of humanity really sporadic, we’re good.

More on tonight’s home opener:

- Varlamov was stunningly good – for two periods. After forty minutes of some downright brilliant stops, it seems that he either let up a bit or got tired or something, because he wasn’t nearly as sharp in the third. And as much as the whole team kind of left him out to dry, Varly needs to stop at least a few of those that got past him. That #1 job is still Theo’s to lose.

- Chris Clark is doing things out there that we haven’t seen him do for three years, and it’s a beautiful thing. The Captain is really and truly back.

- Last year there were a lot of games, particularly early on, where Shaone Morrisonn seemed to be trying to do too much offensively, hurting his defensive game. That’s no longer the case – another strong game for Mo in his own end, with two takeaways and five blocked shots.

- Not a bad night for his defensive partner, either. Mike Green slowly eased into the preseason and looked a little off at first, but that’s why you play preseason games. His first two games of the regular season have been very good; it’s early, but there are signs that maybe he’s learning how to balance his offensive explosiveness with his defensive responsibilities.

- And keeping with the defense theme, Jurcina and Erskine both pick up assists – largely out of the simple act of putting pucks on or towards the net while someone else finishes off the play. Juice added 4 hits to his resume, as well, so he also continues to have a good start to the season.

- Of course for all the strong performances, it wasn’t all sunshine and daisies. Brian Pothier looked a little shaky at times tonight and Poti, who like Green is more effective when visible, wasn’t all that noticeable tonight. I guess being invisible is better than being in the box, though, so…there’s that.

- Vesa Toskala is a starter in the NHL. Roll that one around in your mind for a bit.

- Good for Erskine for not rising to the bait and dropping the gloves when he didn’t have to, not once but twice. He even got Mayers to take a roughing penalty because of it. As scary as this is, I’ve said it before – he’s playing very good, very smart hockey these days. Go figure.

- It’s incredibly, ridiculously, disgustingly, insanely early in the season to read too much into this, but the Caps currently have four of the top five point-getters, three of the top five goal-scorers, three of the top five in assists, and two of the top five in +/-. Oh yeah, this just in – the Caps can score.

- Holy breakaways, Batman.

- Knuble’s power play goal looked exactly like Laich’s goal the other night. Laich’s goal, on the other hand, looked exactly like something one of the Alexes would do. And the goals by Semin and Ovechkin…well, those were just goals only they can score.

- Three penalties for the Caps is not bad, and is probably right around where the team wants to be to make sure they don’t spend the whole game down a man and to make sure that everyone gets into the game.

- On the flip side, only three penalties for the Leafs is downright shocking.

- Great to see both of the new guys getting their first goals as Caps in front of the raucous and overly pumped up home crowd. Equally great to see them acclimating themselves to having overexcited teammates barrel into them after their goals.

- There was a little cluster of Canadiens fans a few rows behind us that started the evening out by singing the first half of the Canadian anthem in French and then spent the rest of the game booing and/or taunting Komisarek mercilessly. CapsChick approves. Sorry, Mikey K.

- Did Steckel play at all tonight?

So we need to temper our excitement a bit, knowing that its a long season and winning two games means nothing other than the fact that the Caps now have four points.

Still, there are good signs (with a few areas to improve on, as always) – the Caps didn’t come out flat against a weaker opponent, and didn’t let up until a seemingly safe five goal cushion had been established. The defense is adding to the offensive attack while the forwards are, for the most part, being more responsible. And those forwards…man, they can fly.