You did it Toronto

 No, I'm not talking about winning the Cup, Lord knows that that would be a bridge too far, in terms of miraculous happenstances. The Leafs have finally produced a player that can be classified as a generational talent. Maybe he hasn't been around long enough for you to give him that level of plaudits, but certainly Auston Matthews is producing otherworldly numbers. 

Matthews scored his 65th goal against the Penguins lthis week, which drew level with Alexander Ovechkin for the post-lockout record that Ovie set in 2007-8. Matthews will own that record by the end o the season, probably by a few goals. It/s been a while since this much attention was deserved in Toronto.

Maybe it's because the Leafs have been such steady participants in the postseason over the last several years, but it doesn't seem like they are getting the notice of the media, at least in my decidedly American perspective. There are some mitigating circumstances, but they don't explain this perceived lack of attention.

Yes, the Leafs play in Canada, and that is the main reason anyone would expect for an athlete to skirt the attention of American media, but for what it's worth, ESPN has been at least better than NBC in covering the Canadian teams as well as those in America. Part of this is that Canadian teams are better now than they were 10 years ago, partially because of players like Matthews. 

And with that coverage, one player that gets the "you need to watch this!" treatment from John Buccigross and company is Connor McDavid, last year's leading goal scorer. McDavid has marks that would seem to make him have even less a profile in America, playing in a smaller Canadian market on team that is not historically as successful, and being Canadian, whereas Matthews is American.

At the beginning of the season, Matthews (or McDavid, for that matter) weren't among the 10 most popular jersey sales over the summer, though last year, Matthews was third behind McDavid and Ovechkin. I suspect a good run in the postseason will elevate Matthews standing as a North American athlete, but I can't explain why his star isn't a little bit brighter.

Not that any of this matters for the product on the ice. Matthews is everything the Leafs thought he would be, and probably even a bit more. Like Crosby in Pittsburgh or Gretzky in his multitude of stops, your team is never really going to be out of it if Auston Matthews is scoring goals for you. 

NHL.com is going streaking

 We are in the final throes of the regular season, and teams are clinching their spot in the playoffs and the NHL is celebrating their accomplishments. The Maple Leafs, despite all the consternation over their lack of success when they get there, have reached the postseason an impressive 8 seasons in a row.

A more successful team recently, the Lightning, somehow only marked their 7th post season in a row. It could surely be some balm for those Leaf fans troubled by success after the regular season, that they were so consistent, even more so than the steady Lightning.

And then there was a third team that is in a differetnt kind of streak. we don't need to talk about that. 

The Capitals will stay in DC

So it isn't the relocation speculation of the Coyotes or even the Jets, but the Washington Capitals (and the Wizards) had been in discussion to move out of the District into northern Virginia, which is a completely different cultural environment.

The Caps have played at Capital One Arena right downtown DC. I mean, it's right across the street from the National Portrait Gallery. It's a half hour walk to either the Capital Building or the White House. Many of the people that live in close proximity are often congressional functionaries and foreign dignitaries. 

Were they to move to northern Virginia, they would never be more than 5 miles from a HomeGoods. Residents are more long term, working perhaps more for the various departments of government, rather than in the fleeting capacity of Congress. Ironically, some of these residents may work for Capital One. 

It makes more sense for the Caps to want to be among the longer term residents of the region, the people that are probably Caps fans, and not taking their allegiances from their district near Detroit, or the national affiliation from the Central African Republic, or what have you.

Of course, one thing I can tell you about suburbs anywhere, be they in Northern Virginia or, for example, Glendale or Mesa, they don't really want stadiums or arenas built in their backyard. And most lawmakers would prefer getting zero blowback on getting an arena getting built, so how about a largely transient population in the Nation's Capital? 

Oh, that would put undue burden on the rest of the residents of the District that ARE long term residents but don't live downtown? That's fair. Maybe just stay at Capital One Arena. Everyone that doesn't own an NHL or NBA franchise wins. And they get to stay next to the Portrait Gallery, which is still kind of neat.