Maybe I read it wrong but did Ek suggest that Semin played the best hockey of his NHL career or just in the playoffs? I read it as his entire career. Neither are remotely true.
- Kovaltron

He may have played the best 2 way hockey of his career but not the best offensive production

The fourth period is saying that BB is going after the Oilers #1 pick and that the Oilers do not want Schenn.

Wait. Semin played his best hockey in the playoffs? Did I miss something?
- Kovaltron

Semin blocked a couple shots and hustled a few times in the Boston series and I remember the network covering the game and its broadcast team went on about it like he was suddenly a Messier-like warrior. That beer-goggled perception kind of buoyed him into the 2nd round. Fact of the matter is he is supposed to create offense and score goals. He didn't. They lost.

I think he see's that Ovechkin and him will be butting heads all season so there is no point in coaching the team unless they were willing to get rid of him which they are not so the writing is on the wall.
- duckyjets

I still can't get over that ek has Semin coming

The leafs destroyed Schenn he should have never played with the team as an 18 year old.

It's a shame because he was highly touted to be a #1 Shutdown guy.

I still can't get over that ek has Semin coming
- Oilhab

I still can't get over that ek has Semin coming
- Oilhab

Semin is a perfect fit for the habs talented and as soft as they come. Kovalev #2

The leafs destroyed Schenn he should have never played with the team as an 18 year old.

It's a shame because he was highly touted to be a #1 Shutdown guy.
- duckyjets

And he still can be. They detroyed him? Really? He's only 22 with 4 NHL seasons under his belt: 2 good, 2 not as good, all the while being among the leaders in hits among defensemen. He still has a lot of developing to do and can still very much be that top shutdown defenseman he was projected to be.

And he still can be. They detroyed him? Really? He's only 22 with 4 NHL seasons under his belt: 2 good, 2 not as good, all the while being among the leaders in hits among defensemen. He still has a lot of developing to do and can still very much be that top shutdown defenseman he was projected to be.
- Phenom

Sweet, he has 3 more years to find his game before hitting the open market as UFA

hed fit in well with the soft forwards in vancouver
- nightmare3020

That's all fine and dandy, but can he take a dive as well as the Sedins do?

With or without hunter, the caps are gonna be very good with holtby.

That guy gave me nightmares in our series.

The fourth period is saying that BB is going after the Oilers #1 pick and that the Oilers do not want Schenn.
- duckyjets

Yeah they would want a good dman if they traded the #1 pick.

Semin should just take his "hard workin`talents" to Toronto, and then he won't have to worry about everyone saying he is uninterested in showing up in the playoffs.

Semin can go back to the KHL maybe play on a line with Filitov. The no drive line

Eklund: Dale Hunter NOT Returning to Coach Caps per Sportsnet
- Eklund

Too bad he's leaving , I really thought the Caps where set with Chimera-Hendricks-Beagle as their first line.

Guess Dale realized quickly that he didn't feel like putting up with Ovi for anymore than what, 5-6 months. Seemed like he was doing some good there.
- ryman1566

I was wondering if OV went over his head to complain about his icetime in the playoffs....
Hunter did a great job of having his team ready for the playoffs, seems a shame.

The leafs destroyed Schenn he should have never played with the team as an 18 year old.

It's a shame because he was highly touted to be a #1 Shutdown guy.
- duckyjets

The guy is 22....he's a stay-at-home defenseman and they don't hit their stride until 26+.

The leafs haven't destroyed him...I think that's quite early to say that. Should he not have made the NHL so soon...probably. But playing under Wilson's "defense last" system (if you can call that crap a system) didn't help either.

Carlyle will help him progress, but people need to stop acting like he should be logging 20+ minutes a night at the age of 22.

stay-at-home dmen are an entirely different game then offensive dmen. They take a heck of a lot longer to master their game in the NHL.

With or without hunter, the caps are gonna be very good with holtby.

That guy gave me nightmares in our series.
- TrueBlue9182

without his defensive system, Holtby might not have looked so good.

Semin is a perfect fit for the habs talented and as soft as they come. Kovalev #2
- duckyjets

You can compare him to 1st round bust Alexander Burmistrov not to Kovalev's 100 pts in 123 playoff games

MTS center is going to be ranked Energy Star Arena with all the air a Semin-Burmistrov duo would generate.

without his defensive system, Holtby might not have looked so good.
- 77emac77

I'm not so sure about that actually. The Bruins and Rangers peppered him a lot of the time and he looked solid, calm and poised for the most part. He looks like the real deal. Then again, Jim Carey much?

hed fit in well with the soft forwards in vancouver
- nightmare3020

They need a playoff warrior like him.

-Ek.

Eklund: Dale Hunter NOT Returning to Coach Caps per Sportsnet
- Eklund

The Conn Smythe was a 3 horse race between Dustin Brown, Mike Smith and Alex Semin till the Caps got bounced.

big deal, what did hunter do?
win a single round of hockey-nothing more.

The Conn Smythe was a 3 horse race between Dustin Brown, Mike Smith and Alex Semin till the Caps got bounced.
- hankthetank

...okay, I'll give it to ya, that was funny.