Washington Invades Canada

- As the Caps continue their 4-game road trip with a foray into Western Canada, the media coverage continues to ramp up. Our neighbors to the north and west have grasped onto our rare visit, issuing an outpouring of love for our young superstar and an outpouring of hatred for the new "rivalry-centric" NHL schedule.

Those media outlets that get one or two chances in a three-year period to cover one of the great talents of the sport are taking full advantage of the opportunity with a recent string of profiles and articles. The latest - another love letter from the Globe and Mail, but this time it's focused on both of our young Russian superstars.

It's nice to see Semin getting a little attention for his accomplishments so far, and I also appreciate the fact that one of the major Canadian newspapers referred to us as a "rising" young team with a much improved power play. They seem to be the first ones not to take the easy way out by calling the Caps a lowly team or without really saying anything negative about the team at all.

- The love continued south of the border last night as I watched the Flyers skate to victory over the Thrashers. The Capitals somehow got pulled into a conversation about Atlanta's success, and I was surprised and pleased to hear Keith Jones (gotta love Jonesy, right?) refer to the Caps as a much improved team that has looked good so far this season.

A little positive reassurance is nice sometimes, isn't it?