Put Peter Bondra in the pro-Alex Semin camp. I had a chance to chat with #12 during Friday night’s 3-1 win over the Wild, and when I asked him how he’d go about coaching the enigmatic winger, how he’d address Semin’s conspicuous inconsistency, the general manager of the Slovakian national team emphasized that he’s seeing significant maturation this season in Semin’s game.
“He’s got to learn the situations of the game still and when he can try [fancy] moves like that,” Bonzai observed, alluding to the failed Semin razzle-dazzle against the Islanders earlier in the week that led to a breakaway score on Jose Theodore.
“He will.”
“He’s better in all areas [of the ice].”
Bondra didn’t refute any of the litany of concerns I identified in Semin’s game, but he stressed the winger’s unique gifts and the improvements he’s seen in the past couple of seasons. He also suggested that ho...
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