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10 April 2008-The Playoffs are just around the corner More…
Alexander Semin Played For Himself and For Ovechkin.
The Washington forward has taken first place in the league in points and goals
Soviet Sport, 30 October 2008 No.161(17660)
D. Chesnokov
The Capitals are temporarily without Alexander Ovechkin. As previously reported in Soviet Sport, last season’s NHL MVP had to unexpectedly fly to Russia to be with his ailing grandfather.
Washington won their first game without Alex the Great, and the main hero was Alex’s comrade, Alexander Semin, who scored two points (1+1) along with a shootout goal.
“The Hockey News” had this to say about it in one of their blogs:
“Can you imagine that Ovechkin is not the league points leader? And not only that, he isn’t even his team’s points leader. He isn’t even the most productive guy named Alexander on his team! It’s a miracle!”
While Sasha Ovechkin is dealing with family problems, Alexander Semin is playing for both of them. He is already being compared to Evgeni Malkin, who became the star of Pittsburgh when captain Sidney Crosby was injured.
BRASHEAR ALMOST FELL ASLEEP ON THE BENCH
As usual, the game began with the playing of the national anthem. The singer, however, was apparently so boring that it almost put tough guy Donald Brashear to sleep. While standing near the reserve bench, the bully closed his eyes and his helmet fell from his hands right onto the ice, and he had to pick it up front of the grinning spectators. Thank God the game itself wasn’t quite so boring.
With Ovechkin out of the picture, the Predators had to cover up Semin and play for a win. That is easier said than done. On even strength, on the power play, shorthanded, and even in the shootout Alexander II terrorized the Nashville defense. If it hadn’t been for the visiting team’s goalie Ellis, the score at the end of the first period would have been devastating.
Greg Wyshynski, head writer on the popular Yahoo Sports Blog, shared his opinion with me: “I am absolutely sure that with Radulov the Predators could make it to the playoffs right now. Whatever face Nashville’s management puts on it, this is a devastating loss for his team”
I can personally vouch for this “face”. Nashville’s general manager, David Poile, was at the game and I asked for his comments on a recent interview with Radulov, in which the Salavat Yulaev forward said that he might return to the NHL. Poile, however, curtly responded “All this has already been covered in the press. I don’t know anything new.”
The first goal of the game was made by Viktor Kozlov, who skillfully put his stick in front of the net to catch a Mike Green pass. The visitors evened up the score, but afterwards Semin took the game on himself. Washington was shorthanded, and Sasha took hold of the puck and skated with it “à la russe” through the center zone. It was this type of style that the hooligan Gusev was referring to in “The Adventures of Elektronik”: “Oh, now he is on round two…” Semin went towards the Capital’s net to allow a line change, and then suddenly made a pass halfway down the rink to a moving David Steckel , who went one-on-one with the goalie and made the goal. It looked like the puck was leaving Steckel’s stick when he was doing a feint, and Ellis bought it.
SEMIN:I WON’T TURN MY NOSE UP
At the 42 minute mark Semin gets another, this time while on a power play. What a jack of all trades! And all this on ice that in the third period became worse than what you’d find on a pond in a Moscow suburb in the middle of winter. The puck just got mired in slush and puddles. Moreover, a personal guard was established around Alexander, which constantly was falling on him. But ref Paul Devorski mistook Semin for Michael Phelps, who lives nearby in Baltimore. After one episode the ref told the Russian that diving was for little fishies. True, there was no penalty called for this.
In the shootout, Semin and Nylander distinguished themselves, and Sasha was deservedly named the first star.
After the game I talked with Semin, and Alexander admitted that Washington had been roughly judged recently, although the season had just barely begun. Concerning his own successes, Semin modestly said “I don’t try to think about it. Yes, it is really nice to be the league leader in points and goals, but if you start holding your nose up high, you might just lose the lead spot.”
Alexander also said that just before the game Ovechkin had sent him a text message in which he asked him to give encouragement to the guys, and to tell them he said hello. “You could say that Sanya was with us” Semin smiled.
As is our tradition, very soon Soviet Sport will be determining our best Russian NHL player for October. Something tells me that he will be named Alexander….
KOZLOV: AND IF WE HAD TWO SASHAS?
Viktor Kozlov has returned to the Washington lineup unusually early after an injury to his knee. Is it worth it to be in such a hurry? If you recall, last season Semin was also hurriedly called back onto the team with his ankle barely healed. All Alexander ended up doing was aggravating his injury, which kept the best bombardier in the NHL from fully realizing his potential in the championship.
How do you feel, Viktor? I asked Kozlov.
“OK, but there are some echoes of the injury, and those will be around for a few weeks.”
Why did they let you back out onto this “plowed garden”? Your knee might go out again on such bad ice.
“I was sure that everything was going to be fine. The management of Washington gave me time to heal. I won’t say that I am 100%, but I can’t hurt my leg any more than it already is, and the pain just remains. I just have to live with it.”
Yes, and the main thing for you is to play. After all, this is your last season under contract.
“That is right. You have to stay healthy and make a lot of goals. But rarely does your season go according to plan. There is always some type of force majeure, and this is one of them.”
What is it like for you to play without Alexander Ovechkin?
“He is sorely missed. Sasha is our leader. But here again is another instance of force majeure: he had to suddenly fly to Moscow. We had to play for ourselves and for him. Semin has managed to do this, and he has just shined. He has shown that Washington, even without Ovechkin, is something to be reckoned with. But can you just imagine if both Sashas had been playing today? Now that would be some powerful force!”
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Click on Icon above or thumbnail below to see original story on sovsport.ru
Photo: AP