Canadiens’ Alexander Semin, 5 Reasons to be Encouraged

Sep 28, 2015; Quebec City, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing

(13) celebrates his goal against Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at Videotron Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Alexander Valerevich Semin

Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens signed Alexander Semin to a 1-year $1.1 million contract in hopes that he could provide some scoring to an offensively challenged team. If the start to the season is an indication of his potential, they obtained a heck of a player without much risk at all. 

While watching the first 9 games of the season, I’ve been forced to endure the pessimistic and aggravating attitudes towards Canadiens winger Alexander Semin. It seems that his reputation and/or latest performances preceded him and caused many to assess his performance on the score sheet alone. Their attitude was essentially this: if he scores, he’s worthy of a roster spot, and if he doesn’t, let him go. Well, I’m here to tell all of the nay sayers that he’s done so many other outstanding things to this point, along with supporting scoring, that he’s earned himself as long a leash with Michel Therrien as you can imagine him providing.

Before we get going, here are the statistics he’s accumulated thus far in 2015-16.

• Goals: 1
• Assists: 2
• Points: 3
• +/-: +1
• Shots: 13
• S%: 7.7
• OPS: 0.1
• DPS: 0.1
• PS: 0.2
• CF%: 53.8
• ATOI: 13:44

Here are the 5 reasons to be encouraged by Alexander Semin’s start in Montreal.

Oct 20, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Alexander Semin (13) is checked by St. Louis Blues right wing

(36) during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

2. Puck Possession

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed on the second line this season it’s that they’re able to maintain puck possession in the offensive zone for the majority of their shifts. In fact, Semin’s oZS% is the highest of his career at 62.3% so far, his CF% rel is also a career high of 7.9, and his FF% rel is a career high of 9.1. With Semin on their line, Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuk improved on all 3 of these stats:

• Eller: oZS% from 37.5 to 56.9, CF% rel from -1.0 to 6.2, and FF% rel from 0.5 to 6.8
• Galchenyuk: oZS% from 57.3 to 62.9, CF% rel from 3.5 to 6.4, and FF% rel from 2.4 to 6.3.

There’s no denying that together, all three of these players have been able to maintain puck possession for the majority of their time of the ice and are able to drive teams crazy as a result. I’ve noticed that many of the penalties drawn by the Habs are a direct result of this line’s hard work and puck possession, something that often goes unnoticed by many fans and analysts.

Alexander Semin’s work in this area should be noted more often as a major reason for this line’s success with puck possession. He’s really working well with these guys to control the play, and the results should be coming through as the season continues.

Oct 15, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Rangers forward Mats Zucarello (36) clears Montreal Canadiens forward Alexander Semin (13) from in front of teammate goalie

(30) during the third period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

3. Playing Big

Another reason I’m satisfied with Alexander Semin’s work is his work around the opposition’s net, something that has opened up space on the ice for both of his line mates. He’s driving hard to the net and has been the steadiest presence in front of the net for the second line, often taking a beating for his efforts. Again, this isn’t something that shows up on the stats sheet, but it’s helped Eller and Galchenyuk get more results on the scoresheet.

He may not be Brandon Prust caliber tough, but his play along the boards and in fore-checking has been outstanding to this point. I’ve made a note of watching how hard he works to regain puck possession, to stop pucks from exiting the zone, and to finish his checks and all have been done extremely well. I distinctly remember watching him single-handedly fore-check the Senators for 10 to 15 seconds while the team completed a line change, working hard to keep them deep in their end. The problem is that announcers don’t seem to point those things out to people, instead deciding right after that play to point out how they didn’t recall mentioning his name much in that game.

Semin’s playing big on his line and it’s having an impact in all areas, from puck possession to fore-checking abilities, something the second line was missing when it included David Desharnais.

Oct 17, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Detroit Red Wings goalie

(34) makes a save against Montreal Canadiens right wing Alexander Semin (13) during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

4. Reshaping his role from Scorer to Well-Rounded player

There’s no doubt that Alexander Semin isn’t the sniper he once was. He doesn’t seem to have the same release he once had, and he’s not getting the high-quality shots on net he used to get. That doesn’t mean it won’t change this year, but at this point, we haven’t seen that nose for scoring. However, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

He’s no longer a sniper, but he sure is turning out to be a much more well-rounded player than I ever expected. The work he’s put in to make sure he gets noticed by Habs coaches for the right reasons is evident despite some of the mistakes he’s made. I never expected Semin to be as strong defensively as he is offensively. When you look around the NHL at all of the successful teams, they’re loaded with guys who can do it all. There’s no doubting that Semin has helped make Eller and Galchenyuk better this season. Is it more important that he score goals, or that he places both line mates in a position to do so as often as possible? The right answer is a combination of the two, and I believe he’s done one and will do the other this season.

As you can see here, he can still score the odd goal:

Semin has reshaped his style of play from being a sniper to being a well-rounded player. It may not be what all of us expected, but for $1.1 million, the Habs should enjoy how much he’s helped bring Eller and Galchenyuk to their next level of play.

Oct 1, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman

(79) celebrates with teammates Alexander Semin (13) and

(76) after scoring a goal against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

5. Unselfish Play

I watched Alexander Semin in the slot, about 4 feet away from a defender who was trying to get into position to block the shot, pass the puck to Lars Eller who was facing him about 4 feet to his left. Not only was the act of passing up that shot impressive because of its implied unselfishness, but it indicated a maturity that I didn’t expect based on his reputation. Knowing very well that he was brought in to Montreal in order to score goals and help out with scoring in general, he easily could have blasted the puck as hard as he could and hoped it got through for a goal or juicy rebound. Instead, he did what nobody expected, particularly the defenseman who looked fully committed to stopping Semin’s supposed shot, and set up Eller’s goal.

Sure, he got an assist on the play, but it doesn’t indicate the kind of line mate he’s been to both Eller and Galchenyuk. He’s consistently feeding them the puck when it’s right, giving them time to get open, and supporting them in getting a strong game going in the offensive zone.

Here it is for you in case you missed it:

Summary

I felt that something positive should be written about Alexander Semin because so many people are quick to look at a stat sheet and decide from that how well he’s done this season. Announcers and analysts are just as guilty, often overlooking the little things he’s done so well. I challenge anyone who wants to reproach him to watch his play during the next few games and take note of what he’s doing right, and what he’s doing wrong. If he plays as strongly as he’s done so far, I believe he’ll surprise you and you’ll be glad you paid closer attention to his hard work and more well-rounded play.

Good things are in store for this line and Semin if they’re given the leash needed to prove themselves going forward. They may not have the best numbers on the team yet, but with their hard work and cohesion, it wouldn’t surprise me if they become one of the better second lines in the NHL by season’s end.

Next: Montreal Canadiens' Five Guys

More from A Winning Habit

• Montreal Canadiens: Biggest Questions Going Into 2023-24
• Montreal Canadiens: Quentin Miller’s Poise And Confidence Fuel His Game
• Montreal Canadiens: Laval Rocket Top Defence Pair Could Be Set
• Montreal Canadiens: Worst Move Of The Pierre Gauthier Era
• Montreal Canadiens: Could Casey DeSmith End Up In Colorado?