Canadiens’ Alexander Semin, 5 Reasons to be Encouraged
By Mat Germain
Oct 11, 2015; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Alexander Semin (13) and Ottawa Senators center
Zack Smith(15) battle for the puck in the third period at Canadian Tire Centre. The Canadiens won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
1. Defensively Responsible
You can’t make the Habs roster at this point without being defensively responsible. There are too many other options at this point who would be able to provide that and the Habs continue to live and die with a strong defensive game before all. While Semin has made a few undeniable mistakes over the last few games, on the whole, he’s worked hard to ensure he back-checks and plays hard in the defensive end. He’s not going to suddenly become known as a defensive specialist, but his work is strong enough to be called defensively responsible and thus allows for ice time to continue coming his way on the second line.