WASHINGTON — It was T.J. Oshie with his best moves of the year and then John Carlson reminding people he’s leading the way to take the Norris Trophy, if not the Hart as the NHL’s MVP.

It’s December, so no definitive conclusions about hockey teams should be made at the moment. But this version of the Washington Capitals is the best the NHL has to offer right now. It looks potential losing streaks in the face and scoffs.

The latest bit of evidence was Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, as marquee a matchup as the sport can offer before the holidays. Oshie scored twice, Braden Holtby made 30 saves, the penalty kill snuffed out all five of the Bruins’ chances, Carlson broke a tie early in the third period, and the Caps forgot what might have been their worst performance of the season two nights earlier.

“We didn’t go over one shift of that game against Columbus,” coach Todd Reirden said of the Caps’ 5-2 loss. “That game was over and done with and we’re not going to talk about it.”

That’s a strength not of who these guys are becoming but who they are already. No hockey team is fully formed before half the season is gone, and there are unforeseen obstacles still ahead. But these Capitals are buoyed not only by their best-in-the-league record but by the way they handle themselves daily, even after a bad loss.

“We’re a pretty self-aware team,” Carlson said.

Said Reirden: “One of the strengths between the coaches and players is there’s very honest evaluation.”

So let’s honestly evaluate the Caps to this point: They’re pretty darned good.

To review:

Before this week, they played four straight on the road. They won all four, including an unprecedented accomplishment for this franchise in sweeping the three-city California segment. In 33 games, they have gained at least a point in 28. They have yet to lose back-to-back games in regulation.

“We believe we can win any game we play,” said Holtby, whose mastery of the Bruins is otherworldly. “Whatever happened in the past doesn’t matter.”

That includes Monday night’s clunker against Columbus. There are 82 games. The inexplicable happens. This group knows that when it does, flush it.

So with the holidays approaching, not a bad place to be. And yet …

“We’re still definitely a work in progress,” Reirden said.

Even after more than a third of the season, that makes sense given two factors: a roster that is working in five skaters who weren’t in the organization at this point last year and the maladies that come along with a hockey season — some avoidable, some not. The Caps have endured all varieties.

Monday was the first time the lineup was fully intact. On Wednesday, the Caps added more than players — they added an edge because the Bruins ain’t the Blue Jackets.

“These are the games you get up for,” winger Carl Hagelin said.

Yes, Boston had stumbled some heading into Wednesday night. But all those categories the Caps lead the league in — most wins, fewest regulation losses, most points — the Bruins were second.

“It was fun to play in that atmosphere,” Carlson said.

And be honest: For the Capitals, it’s just fun to play the Bruins. The Capitals essentially lock the Bruins in a closet and bring them out only for their own amusement.

Since the beginning of the 2014-15 season, they have gone 16-1-0 against Boston, a franchise that has averaged 100 points a season over the past five years and was one win away from the Stanley Cup last spring.

“Half the battle, I think, is believing you’re in a good spot against an opponent,” Reirden said. “You have a feeling of superiority or confidence.”

So if this was a preview of a playoff matchup in four or five months, so be it. The Caps can handle it. Holtby’s record against Boston now: 18-3-0.

“We’ve just got to keep rolling and keep building and keep getting better,” center Nicklas Backstrom said. “We can’t be satisfied even if we’re in a good spot right now.”

They’re in a very good spot because they’re a very good team.

Enjoy Oshie’s goals from Wednesday night because the second one, in particular, was spectacular. Embrace what is developing into Carlson’s career year because he now has 45 points and anything seems possible. Know that they can win even when Alex Ovechkin doesn’t score.

They believe they can beat any team any way on any night in any building because they have proved exactly that.