Caps Rock the Red, Rock the Preds 4-3 (OT)

Image Courtesy of ESPN.com

Hats off to Alex Semin. He currently leads the NHL in points and is tied for the lead in goals. As I wrote the other night, he's making the kind of plays that only a really special player can make, and the more and more I see him play (although this time on replay), the more impressed I become. I do not consider myself to be a hockey expert by any stretch of the imagination. I know the basics that a fan would typically know, but I've never played and I don't know the nuances nearly as well as I do with football. However, I do feel like I know about the makeup of a successful team, and I see a lot of good signs with this 08-09 Caps squad (hats of to Ted Leonsis) AGAIN for the rebuilding efforts). Alex Semin is a major reason for the success of this team currently, and will continue to be so for the next several years. Semin is the quiet leader that goes out, takes care of his business, skates hard, and pulls hard for his teammates (albeit rather quietly). Semin is also the type of player that makes a special kind of play. The kind of play that can lift his team up to new heights, and can demoralize an opposing team. The amazing part of this is because he's able to do it so quietly. Ovechkin plays every game like a kid that loves the game. Semin plays every game like a veteran that's been there before and knows how to get the job done. While we all love Alex Ovechkin and all that his greatness brings to the ice, the Washington Capitals need a player like Alex Semin to compliment him. I'm not speaking in terms of a Batman-Robin relationship. I don't feel like it's fair to say that Semin is a "sidekick" to Ovechkin's star, but rather his alter-ego that provides a steadying, almost calming confidence to this franchise. Ovie is the volatile, excitable, fun-loving star that D.C. Hockey needs, but Alex Semin is the steadying force behind a potential championship-caliber franchise. If the Caps hope to hoist the cup in the next few seasons, look for Semin's contributions to matter every bit as much as Ovechkin's. His exploits may be a little quieter, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't win the hearts, or the respect of all Caps fans.

As for the 4-3 Victory, Kudos go to...

Bruce Boudreau, for continuing to push the right buttons (considering the absences of Ovie and Poti), as well as this freakin' sweet commercial.

Next up: @ Buffalo Sabres, 11/1 7:00pm