Unbelievable goal by Semin (update)

 

Alex 'Russian Roulette' Semin put a bullet in a chamber and fired!

We are not mocking you, Alex, we are not... It really was unbelievable...

Ovie tried really hard tonight, at one point he hit the post, but... as Gretzky said, in some games you don't score, in some you score in bunches...


Washington Capitals' Alexander Semin (facing camera), of Russia celebrates his goal with teammate Tomas Fleischmann (14), of the Czech Republic, against the Boston Bruins during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, in Washington. The Capitals won 2-1.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Nick Wass



Capitals Insider, Jan. 18, 2009:

It started when Milan Jurcina dove to poke check the puck away from Boston's Martin St. Pierre, who turned the puck over as he retrieved it then tried to pass it off the boards. Alexander Semin stole the puck from along the boards and skirted two Bruins players before ripping a shot over Tim Thomas' glove for what proved to be the game-winner.

"I wish he'd shoot more," Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Semin. "He's got that kind of shot....Tim Thomas, as good as he was, I don't know if he expected a shot to come out that quick. When you're going down the wing and it's just a normal shot you don't expect it to go in against (Thomas) quite frankly."

Boudreau was right. Thomas didn't expect the shot to come that fast.

"I didn't know that Semin was just going to come down and shoot it," Thomas said. "I was also keeping an eye on their guy (Tomas Fleischmann) who was coming late, in case he pulled up and gave it to him. It was Guy LaFleurish. There's not many times when a guy has that much time to wind up for a slap shot like that."

Update or "What's so special about Ovechkin?" :

Corey Masisak, TWT, Jan. 18, 2009:

"Lots of people watch [Alex Ovechkin], but I've always said Alexander [Semin] - when he decides to - can be the best player in the league," Caps forward Donald Brashear said. "In my mind he is a top-five player in this league, but he has to bring it on a regular basis."

The play started with a bad pass from Milan Jurcina near his own blue line. Jurcina recovered to poke the puck away from Martin St. Pierre and into the corner to the right of Washington netminder Jose Theodore.

St. Pierre made a soft pass toward the left point, and Semin swooped in to intercept, tapped the puck past defenseman Mark Stuart at the blue line. Semin carried it into the Boston offensive zone before unleashing a blistering slap shot from the top of the right circle that beat Bruins goalie Tim Thomas high before he could raise his glove at 11:48 of the final period.

"I wish he'd shoot more because he's got that kind of shot," Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He's got that kind of individual talent, and you can see it all the time."

The goal was Semin's 18th of the season and proved to be the difference for the Caps, who have won two straight since a three-game losing streak. The victory cut the Bruins' lead in the Eastern Conference to nine points.