Ovechkin vs Semin?

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

Anyone on the board thinks that Semin can get more points then Ovechkin this year? I am one one of those, anyone else? Semin is one of my favorite player in the league and if you compare both talent for talent, they are pretty close and I would even give an edge to Semin...

I know I'll sound stupid for most but I would just like to know if some share my vision.

[dangle 0]

Semin usually starts out hot and Ovechkin starts out slower. As long as Semin stays healthy, I think he can net 40. I just don't see Ovechkin taking 400+ shots on goal and NOT netting 50.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Semin is, in my opinion by far the most skilled player on the caps (and possibly in my very very biased mancrush on semin opinon), the most skilled player in the league.

Ovechkin has skill, but if you take away the skill, he also has the powerhouse factor where he will go through you to get the shot. That will make him more productive over the course of the season.

Semin has ridiculous hands, in terms of stickhandling in traffic, and a really really deceptive shot. He is also getting more room as teams hone in on Ovey more. This also will balance out over the season.

If you take away semins skill by intimidation, he is prone to taking stupid reactionary penalties, which hurt the team, and keep him off the ice.

As I said, over the course of a season, I think ovey will produce more, but I think semin will be in the 40-50 goal range for a long time.

I've had a mancrush on him pre-lockout (wife approved!!!!) and I'm glad to see him get some more attention

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

Haha, lol

Good one, yeah I see the same thing as you, IMO Semin is top 5 in talent in the league, top 10 at worst.

Semin is, in my opinion by far the most skilled player on the caps (and possibly in my very very biased mancrush on semin opinon), the most skilled player in the league.

Ovechkin has skill, but if you take away the skill, he also has the powerhouse factor where he will go through you to get the shot. That will make him more productive over the course of the season.

Semin has ridiculous hands, in terms of stickhandling in traffic, and a really really deceptive shot. He is also getting more room as teams hone in on Ovey more. This also will balance out over the season.

If you take away semins skill by intimidation, he is prone to taking stupid reactionary penalties, which hurt the team, and keep him off the ice.

As I said, over the course of a season, I think ovey will produce more, but I think semin will be in the 40-50 goal range for a long time.

I've had a mancrush on him pre-lockout (wife approved!!!!) and I'm glad to see him get some more attention

[epstud74 24]

What exactly makes Semin more talented than Ovechkin? Do you think he has better puck skills? Skating? I'm interested in hearing your opinion. People always gave me crap for talking about how talented Pierre Turgeon was...Maybe a better choice of word to describe Turgeon would be "skilled." Does Ovy's drive magnify his talent or what?

[Chadd 916]

What exactly makes Semin more talented than Ovechkin? Do you think he has better puck skills? Skating? I'm interested in hearing your opinion. People always gave me crap for talking about how talented Pierre Turgeon was...Maybe a better choice of word to describe Turgeon would be "skilled." Does Ovy's drive magnify his talent or what?

Semin has better one on one moves and I would say has more overall skill than Ovechkin. In fact, I've been saying that for a year or so. That said, he is missing the physical dimension to his game that makes Ovechkin so dangerous without the puck. Because of that, I would take Ovechkin every time if I had to pick one of them.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

What exactly makes Semin more talented than Ovechkin? Do you think he has better puck skills? Skating? I'm interested in hearing your opinion. People always gave me crap for talking about how talented Pierre Turgeon was...Maybe a better choice of word to describe Turgeon would be "skilled." Does Ovy's drive magnify his talent or what?

His stickhandling, shot selection, shot deception, shot speed, shot accuracy all make him skillwise in my book better than ovechkin.

Ovechkins great at all the above, but not as good as semin, he uses his power to substitute skill in some instances.

Next time I get to caps practice, I'll try to shoot some video of semin. You would not believe the stuff he does in practice.

I saw him come out on the ice before anyone else (this was a couple of years ago) at one practice, and stand on the goal line, in the corner, and try to hit the crossbar and post at the other end of the ice.

He "pinged" the iron maybe 15-20 times, and hit consecutively at least 4 or 5 times in a row.

That may not sound like a big deal, but that's from almost 200 feet away, and he made it look easy.

I've also seen him stickhandle with one hand (again in practice, not the kind of thing he would be doing in the game for the most part), and he would turn you inside out one handed.

It's just amazing to watch.

He's also not as moody as people think, he jokes around a lot in practice, and a lot of the time it's with Brashear, who he fake checks or jumps on his back things like that.

[epstud74 24]

I guess that "drive" and desire to power your way to the net can make the difference between good and great. I agree with Chadd's analysis. I guess if one wants to go back into history and find a player whose drive and determination made him great, Maurice Richard would be my choice.

[jbyun04 7]

For hands and skill, Semin for sure. Much more a finesse player and he'd be a pretty frustrating player to go one-on-one against but Ovechkin would probably be a lot more scary to go against.

As JM Liles said, Ovechkin is one of the few players that goes in and has d-men a little bit scared.

[interpathway 9]

Semin is, in my opinion by far the most skilled player on the caps (and possibly in my very very biased mancrush on semin opinon), the most skilled player in the league.

Ditto. As teams focus more attention on Sem, OV will be able to open up a bit more.

[armada 0]

I'm on the same page as you gentleman. Love watching Ovechkin play but can't get enough of Semin. Allsmokenopancake I would like to watch some footy of Semin in practice messing around, if you can make it happen I'll be in debt to you.

[Adam91 0]

Semin also is a better shooter, his release is so quick. He just doesnt; take 10 shots a game like Ovechkin.

[OTHockey96 0]

Yeah, as DC area res. and someone who's met the both of them....Ovie is better b/c he wants to be, and he pushes himself there. I think Semin is still getting used to it here, mentally i mean, and that takes something out of his drive to be "the best." TBH, i think he really only just starting to like here last season. But yeah, you guys are right, Semin does have better finesse skills. I'm being very honest, as someone who loves Kovalev, Semin has better moves than anyone in the NHL. At the same time, for you guys who aren't around to watch Ovie practice, and maybe only see highlights of his goals etc., when Ovie is on, he can finesse with the best too.

PS - watch Semin on Youtube, like RSL stuff, then you'll see what we mean

[adam14 182]

i saw a clip, i think it was on youtube, and it was semiin and OV before a game, on the ice with sticks and a couple pucks, and they would take wrist shots thru the photographer holes in the glass.. thought it was pretty funny seeing pros do that seeing as we do it for bottles of coke after practice.

[regularjoe 1]

Ohters have touched on it, but Semin is more fluid and may very well be more talented in terms of raw skill (release, hands).

Ovechkin has that extra drive ("it" factor if you will) that I would say makes him a better offensive player overall.

[lampliter87 8]

Ovechkin = complete package.

Semin = highly skilled player.

[NYRfan 0]

Several intangible factors other than skill (see how he celebrates every goal like its his first ever=redic amount of drive), and physicality make Ovie a better overall player to have on your team. The Caps are lucky to have them both, an excellent set up guy in Backstrom and Mike Green on the blueline...

[phunky_monkey 6]

As other have said, there's a difference between being the most skilled player, and being the most effective player. I'm not ragging on Kovalev, but he was often referred to as the most physically talented player in the league but he wasn't the best player in the league.

Either way I'd be happy as a Caps fan to have both on the same team, they're both awesome players.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

As other have said, there's a difference between being the most skilled player, and being the most effective player. I'm not ragging on Kovalev, but he was often referred to as the most physically talented player in the league but he wasn't the best player in the league.

Either way I'd be happy as a Caps fan to have both on the same team, they're both awesome players.

I completely agree.

I think Semin is the most talented player, but ovechkin is the best player.

[interpathway 9]

Capital commentators were mentioning in the second period that they posed this same question to Phoenix coach Gretzky and he too reiterated that Semin had the better shake-and-bake but that Ovechkin is just the complete package.

[raygunpk 0]

So who would you rather have on your team? Ovechkin/Semin or Malkin/Crosby?

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

As much as I like Semin, I have to say that Kovalev is the most skilled player. The best player to me is a tossed up between Datsyuk and Malkin.

As other have said, there's a difference between being the most skilled player, and being the most effective player. I'm not ragging on Kovalev, but he was often referred to as the most physically talented player in the league but he wasn't the best player in the league.

Either way I'd be happy as a Caps fan to have both on the same team, they're both awesome players.

I completely agree.

I think Semin is the most talented player, but ovechkin is the best player.

[pantherfan 0]

As much as I like Semin, I have to say that Kovalev is the most skilled player. The best player to me is a tossed up between Datsyuk and Malkin.

As other have said, there's a difference between being the most skilled player, and being the most effective player. I'm not ragging on Kovalev, but he was often referred to as the most physically talented player in the league but he wasn't the best player in the league.

Either way I'd be happy as a Caps fan to have both on the same team, they're both awesome players.

I completely agree.

I think Semin is the most talented player, but ovechkin is the best player.

Who'd have thought you'd think that? :P

Out of those 2 I'd pick Datsyuk, more complete player although he may not get as many points.

[chippa13 1844]

Datsyuk doesn't get as many point because he is the more complete player.

[Fedorov91 0]

yeah Datsyuk's awesome when it comes to takeaways and fighting for the puck, he belongs near the top of that list of most skilled players in the league.

I wish I got to watch more Caps games on TV but I try to go online and watch all the highlights and follow the team. From what I've seen I'd say that Semin and Ovechkin are pretty close when it comes to offensive skill. Ovechkin is a power forward and sometimes he just plows through guys whereas Semin likes to dangle more and he loves to do that toe drag-wrist shot move, plus he has a sick wrist/snap shot.

Luckily Washington has a lot of skilled forwards so even when Ovechkin isn't scoring much you got guys like Semin stepping it up.

On another note, for a long time I've also thought that Kovalchuk is just as good as Ovechkin offensively as well.