GDT: Panthers @ Canes 1/18 7:00

[HockeyPat]

I suspect Mr Thomas will be "making" the playoffs come trade deadline.

 

[HNIM]

There wasn't much difference in Semin's game last night other than the puck went in for him. (So much the better that it was against a hot goalie.) He won't be in form until he starts piling up assists to Tlusty for the easy tap-ins that they feasted on last year.

 

[Boardwork]

There wasn't much difference in Semin's game last night other than the puck went in for him. (So much the better that it was against a hot goalie.) He won't be in form until he starts piling up assists to Tlusty for the easy tap-ins that they feasted on last year.

I don't know about that. I am a big Semin fan, but he seemed to add a bit more hustle to his normal 'thinking' type plays. He was skating hard, really hard, to get back on d all night long, where usually he is taking his normal strides (that do generate a lot of speed). So I did see a bit more from him.

And on Tim Thomas---I would want him in my net if I was a playoff team with questionable goal tending. So what if he is outspoken about his political views---half of his team or more probably won't be from the USA (and while I don't agree with a lot of what he thinks, I am all for getting rid of the current base on politicians and finding a way to get back to true "statesmen" in office--guys who care about the country rather than the lobbyists and their checkbooks.

 

[Elsker]

Via DVR replay, I am able to fully appreciate the extent of just flat-out high-end skill those two Semin goals were.

Last one, not only short-handed (hockey gods say you lose), but GWG, as well. One-on-one with Tim Thomas. Advantage Semin.

And that first. What a turn-and-fire top-right-corner sniper shot that was.

Now that was the player that used to scare me waaayyy more than Ovechkin ever did when he was on the ice.

He's truly got some elite hockey skills, unlike anything ever in a Canes uni before.

JR says, all you got to do is do what we pay you to do. Last night, he did.

 

[SlapShots]

Via DVR replay, I am able to fully appreciate the extent of just flat-out high-end skill those two Semin goals were... Now that was the player that used to scare me waaayyy more than Ovechkin ever did when he was on the ice.

Ovechkin is physical and has that one move streaking across the ice to get off his wrister in front of the net. Semin is pure sniper.

 

[Boardwork]

Ovechkin is physical and has that one move streaking across the ice to get off his wrister in front of the net. Semin is pure sniper.

I probably mentioned it before when we signed him, but I still remember a shot years ago where Semin was in one of the circles with Gleason in front of him. He started to shoot, saw Gleason seal up for the block, then pulled it back a few inches, adjusted the angle and put it top shelf in the corner over Cam, with maybe an inch of room available.

The best pure shot I have ever seen.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

Semin seems to miss wide and hit a lot of pipes...and I tell people this is fine. He's aiming for the corners, and when he misses he misses wide or hits iron, better than putting it into the goalies chest! Skiner is also aiming for corners or top shelf a lot and it's helping his stats just fine.

I'd be content if Semin was piling on the assist and his linemates were potting goals. Worked great last year.

 

[jeffbear]

Semin seems to miss wide and hit a lot of pipes...and I tell people this is fine. He's aiming for the corners, and when he misses he misses wide or hits iron, better than putting it into the goalies chest! Skiner is also aiming for corners or top shelf a lot and it's helping his stats just fine.

Yup ... we agree. Pretty rare, that.

Semin's a pure sniper, and those guys miss a lot of nets while trying to beat a goalie in a corner or along a weird angle. It's more a concern when those guys are banging it into the keeper's logo because that means they've lost confidence in their ability to pick a spot.