Bonzai's take on Sasha
by Christoph J on Nov 16, 2009 12:06 PM EST
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PrintMost of you or at least some of you might have already known this, so it ain't exactly breaking news. Bonzai is in the pro-Semin camp. Gathering what little I could from a quick read of Pussandbooks's entry for On Frozen Blog, I have to say that is exactly my mindset with #28. As frustrating as it is watching him go morph schizophrenically from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde on ice, I can not help think that if in the near future he winds up on another team in the NHL (assuming another team would want him and could convince him to get on board with them instead of the KHL) the Caps organization are going to regret it in the long term. Just a gut feeling.
Because I hardly have any time during the business day to surf the net and pull up some stats and take a closer look on restropectively how Bonzai, himself, matured throughout the years I am not in any way saying Bonzai and Semin are of the same mold. First off, I somehow get the feeling Bonzai was a little more apt to adapt and adjust his game to become more than a scorer. With that said, if Bonzai believes Semin can do the same. Bonzai's anecdote on one of the moments he had with Semin shared with On Frozen Blog seems to give me some hope.
Bondra noted that he roomed with Semin on the road way back during the Russian winger’s first season in D.C., during the 2003-04 season. Semin played 52 games with the Caps that season, scoring 22 points, but one night he returned to his hotel room 5 minutes past curfew, and Bondra let him know about it. "I said to him, ‘This is not how it’s done,’ and it never happened again. This is why I think he will learn."
Read more on today's post over at On Frozen Blog
It's obvious I'm a fan of Sasha, but just like every Caps fan I do have shared concerns and frustrations of his development as a player and whether he's more an asset than a liability to the Caps in the long run ... especially the run to Lord Stanley's Cup. Any thoughts?
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This is why I think he will learn.
Not voting because my personal take on this is more complicated than the poll allows. I definitely think Semin is capable of changing. “The leopard can change his shorts” (for the Pratchett fans out there). But will he? That’s the real question. I’m just not sure he’s got the motivation.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
Right — it’s not an issue of intelligence. I think the question we can’t answer is, whose opinion matters most to Semin?
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Nov 16, 2009 1:23 PM EST up reply actions
I think it’s too likely that the answer isn’t “his coaches” or “the team’s fans.” Beyond that, I dunno.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Nov 16, 2009 3:35 PM EST up reply actions
Ovechkin? Fedorov? El-ahrairah?
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"Sema, it goes like this. You don't attempt a cross-ice pass when your line is changing. You just don't."
(Photo credit Heather Mabb)
IS PЯACTICE NOW.
by EmilyB on Nov 16, 2009 4:04 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Here’s a fun little nugget that doesn’t mean much:
Peter Bondra, first four seasons: 277 games played, 101 goals, 111 assists, +36, 199 PIMs
Alex Semin, career so far: 272 games played, 117 goals, 116 assists, -1, 273 PIMs
Not wholly dissimilar numbers.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
That wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest – Bondra was notoriously streaky and, at least at the outset of his career, was somewhat overshadowed by a fellow European #8 (Khristich, who seemed to be the more talented of the two early on).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Plus/Minus
Wonder if the +/- differential between Bondra and Semin something very telling of the players themselves or is it a product of the systems their respective Caps squads played? (i.e. Gabby + Hanlon’s system vs the systems of Terry Murray, Schoenfeld, Wilson, Cassidy)
Everyone’s talking about the +/-, but nobody’s talking about the PIMs.
by LSF76 on Nov 16, 2009 7:33 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Frankly, and from the looks of it I don’t speak for everyone, but I really don’t care if he morphs into some elusive “complete” package.
As frustrated as caps nation seems to be with Sasha sometimes….. How do you replace 1.27, 1.76, and 1.35 g/60? You don’t, with out a whole lot of luck or FA money.
Caps fans need to buckle in and repeat. “That’s our Sasha!!” It’s better to make peace with who Sasha is not who you want him to be.
As frustrated as caps nation seems to be with Sasha sometimes….. How do you replace 1.27, 1.76, and 1.35 g/60? You don’t, with out a whole lot of luck or FA money.
The goal isn’t necessarily to replace the offensive production, it’s to replace to total package.
the goal is to replace Semin, rather than my hair, which I find myself frequently ripping out because of Emo Bunny.
Now he’s Emo Bunny? Really? The forced nicknames.. driving me up the wall.
Void Boyd! Go with Perreault!
I endeavor to come up with a new forced nickname each week :) Hopefully, with sickening cute pictures.
regardless of nickname, I’ll still end up tearing out my hair. He’s maddening.
EMO BUNNY!
"Let the rest be scared of us." - Sasha Semin
by Scott in Shaw on Nov 16, 2009 5:49 PM EST up reply actions
And that’s the rub, isn’t it. Its MUCH easier to be in the trade Semin camp with the moving goal posts of adding a “gritty forward” or “Top Two D” to make the team more complete. But is that the reality?
As maddening as the penalties he takes can be, he draws them at the same rate. Would this elusive “gritty” winger improve that ratio that greatly? Would that make up for the 15-20 less goals? I’d just like the trade Semin crowd to quantify what he produces and gives away in their minds.
One of the most active and talented “gritty” forwards I could think of is Alex Burrows. Realistically (thought its not) if the Caps traded Semin for Alex Burrows and a second round pick do you think that makes the team better? Could they expect more in a trade?
Realistically (thought its not) if the Caps traded Semin for Alex Burrows and a second round pick do you think that makes the team better?
Nope.
Could they expect more in a trade?
Yup – anchor defenseman to play next to Green. Not saying it will happen. Just saying it is possible to get fair value for Semin (and fair value for Semin is a lot).
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Nov 16, 2009 6:16 PM EST up reply actions
Now Ryan Kessler and a 2nd…
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
Kessler’s a grinder the way Iginla’s a grinder. True, but the word doesn’t exactly capture what they can do.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Nov 16, 2009 6:41 PM EST up reply actions
And Alex Burrows is gritty the way Matt Cooke is gritty. Why do you think both Dan Carcillo and Cal Clutterbuck openly despise Alex Burrows?
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
I just assumed Cal Clutterbuck despises everyone because, you know, the rest of us don’t have his cool name and hitting ability.
No, I think they both despise Burrows because he loves to yap and do all sorts of stuff behind the play. That’s usually why guys like him are hated. I know Burrows does fight more than Matt Cooke but I think he’s very selective about it; he won’t fight a guy like Carcillo or Clutterbuck is my impression.
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
I think it depends who Burrows really is. If he’s the third line energy guy he looked like earlier in his career, that’s one thing. If he’s the guy who scored 28 goals without getting any on the powerplay, put up a +23, drew 0.4 penalties per sixty more than he took at 5 on 5, and posted 63 takeaways to 26 giveaways who wins battles in corners and drives opponents nuts…well, he wouldn’t be better, but the gulf isn’t as wide as it first seems.
Plus he only makes 2 million dollars, which means the issue can be painted as Semin versus Burrow and Alzner…
So Bondra thinks because he told Semin that you can’t stay out past curfew and it didn’t happen again, in the following X amount of games, that Semin will learn and won’t make bad hockey plays?
Talk about a stretch.
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
by zephyr on Nov 16, 2009 6:28 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Boudreau: Hey Peter, I’ve got Alex on the line with me. Can you tell him what you told me?
Bondra: No problem Bruce. Sasha, you need to stop making high-risk passes at the wrong time.
Semin: OK
Bondra: Also, stop taking bad restraining penalties.
Semin. Sure. I can do that.
Boudreau: Hey Peter, thanks for this.
Bondra: No problem
And he never screwed up again…
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Nov 16, 2009 6:44 PM EST up reply actions
I understand that Semin is a frustrating player to watch, however, there is no way his mistakes outweigh his positives. You don’t replace goal scorers like Semin, I still think he will a 40 goal scorer.
Proud to be a Caps fan. Its a Great Day for Hockey.
You don’t replace goal scorers like Semin, I still think he will a 40 goal scorer.
There’s no question about Semin having the talent and potential to be a 40 goal scorer. Consistently? I don’t know. An astronomical season or two? Probably. What I really wonder is what comes to the forefront when it really matters … the playoff run for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Does he show more heart? Do his liabilities or do his strengths come to the fore?
If my foggy memory serves me correctly, I think or at least recall Semin lifting his game when it came to the playoffs the past two years. I don’t know exactly how he did statistically on a game by game basis versus his regular season numbers but, it seemed that was when the Killer Rabbit of Krasnoyarsk came out of no where.
"wanna go, pretty boy?" -Mr. Carl Racki
by Christoph J on Nov 17, 2009 10:18 AM EST up reply actions
I’m not on a computer with Photoshop, but “Killer Rabbit of Krasnoyarsk”? Oh, I’m totally putting fangs on emo bunny.
do it!
"wanna go, pretty boy?" -Mr. Carl Racki
by Christoph J on Nov 17, 2009 10:46 AM EST up reply actions
C'mon, THIS is the only killer rabbit.
Void Boyd! Go with Perreault!
by jordanDC on Nov 17, 2009 2:32 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Never start a land war in Russia
And never get into an archive battle with Natty Bumppo.
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
did you mean?
5 bucks says he makes 50 goals total in the next3 seasons
or 50 goals a year each season for the next 3 years when he’s on another team?
"wanna go, pretty boy?" -Mr. Carl Racki
Heh…. I should have been less ambiguous. I’ll bet he hits 50 goals a season at least ONCE in the next three season.
I’ll take that bet.
Semin’s highest scoring season (per game) to date was .516. 50 over 82 games is .610. So for him to hit 50 in 82 games, he’d have to increase his scoring rate by 18.2%. And that’s if he’s plays 82 games – which I wouldn’t count on.
I'd take that bet too ...
if we’re referring to the likelihood of him bagging a 50 goal season in the NHL. I should have clarified …
when he’s no longer with the Caps and back in Russia with a KHL club
"wanna go, pretty boy?" -Mr. Carl Racki
not exactly an original from me ... but howza 'bout this?
actually maybe, this is more appropriate when he doesn’t get the benjamins he wants from GMGM after this season …
"wanna go, pretty boy?" -Mr. Carl Racki
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
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54 | 26 | 17 | 11 | 63 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
57 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 58 |
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Tampa Bay
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54 | 24 | 24 | 6 | 54 |
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Carolina
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56 | 20 | 25 | 11 | 51 |
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