Why the **** didn't Semin play against the Thrashers?
 

?? :dunno:

My guess is after the way the team played against the Isles they didn't want to change anything. My guess is he gets in the next game.

Yeah I dont think they wanted to change anythign after the first game. I think he'll take pettingers spot in the next game unless they put Peat in for a fight. he should play vs montreal or toronto though.

Semin gets in the lineup if they decide to bench miller off the first line, which is not likely. if they decide to scratch, either willsie or pettinger.
willsie had 2 assists in the islanders game and pettinger's physical play behind the net resulted in a goal.
after last nights loss, caused in part by recurring bad turnovers by the forwards. I don't think you will see him play in Toronto on monday. Cassidy has already said that Semin is not playing because he wants the team to play simple and not chancy and Semin hasn't learned that yet.
I dont expect that after last nights game they will give Semin a chance just yet

Does Cassidy even watch his players? During the preseason, Semin was one of the most defensively responsible of all the forwards. He was constantly getting back on defense -- even to the point of giving up on the forecheck too early. If he wants to scratch defensively irresponsible risk-takers, he shouldn't be giving Kip Miller a jersey.

At the rate we're going it seems like there's always going to be an excuse NOT to play Semin. If he's going to sit, thats just wasted development. Give him a chance, even if it's just 5 minutes a game, or send him on his way to Russia.

I don't think he is talking about getting back on defense. He is talking about trying to be creative when he should be simple. He is talking about carrying the puck in or making a long pass when he should just dump it in. Turnovers at the blue line like what happened to Bondra last night are the kinds of things that Semin is too prone for in Cassidy's opinion, not his willingness to hustle back on defense. No hustle or desire to help on defense could save Bondra from giving up a breakaway to Kovulchuk last night. Semin will get his shot, but with a road trip of games in Toronto and Montreal(back to back nights), then Dallas and St. Louis(back to back) then Ottawa and Toronto, I don't expect to see Semin playing til after the road trip unless there are injuries.

I think the schedule is front loaded in a way that forces Cassidy to go with his most trustworthy lineup. They have one more under .500 team between now and game 15. Atlanta. The other side of that is that after that run of games the schedule will even out. Give it time.

Even using this criteria, Semin should be playing before Miller.

Semin-Gordon-Jagr
Greir-Lang-Zubrus
Konowachuk-Halpern-Bondra
Pettinger-Sutherby-Willsie

would look pretty damn good to me right now.

There's nothing Kip Miller does that Alex Semin can't do if not do it better. Scoring touch is obviously Semin use advantage, Passing/vision I'd say is equal...Only thing kip excells at. Speed Semin blows him out. Defensive play is by far Semin. He also showed heart by taking lots of hits and getting back up and continuing to go into the corner.

Except that Miller is Jagr's first choice for a linemate. As long as Jagr is going well, I am not going to mess with it. I am also not too keen about
putting Jagr on a line with two 19 year old rookies.

Everything Ive seen from training camp til now....Boyd Gordon may be a 19 year old rookie....but he doesnt play like one...offensive and defensively.

That being said....Im sure Cassidy wont have the ball to try something like that. Oh well.

:dunno:

Funny thing...
 

...I was sitting here at work thinking "Why the $*%() didn't Semin play against the Thrashers." So I decide to do a little search for "Semin" to see if there were any current threads on the player. You can imagine my surprise (elation) to see this topic.

From what I've seen of Semin, he deserves a fair shot at a roster spot, and as another poster already stated, he should be shipped back to Russia if he isn't going to get it. Too many promising prospects have been ruined by having been placed in a state of arrested development.