The other Alexander has been great for Caps

By Bud L. Ellis

He shares a first name with a much more famous teammate. But to be honest, it’s been this Alexander who’s driving the Washington Capitals toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs as much as that other more well-known Alexander.

Alexander Semin may not grab the headlines like Alexander Ovechkin, but that hasn’t stopped the Caps’ left winger from putting together a solid season.

Semin’s 25 goals and 28 assists for 53 points is a big reason the Caps lead the Eastern Conference standings, are cruising to a third-straight Southeast Division championship, and are riding the franchise’s hottest streak in more than 20 years.

The Caps have won eight straight games, their longest winning streak since 1989. And Semin has played a big part in the January surge that’s propelled the Caps to the top of the conference. He scored twice in a win at the Islanders on Tuesday, and followed that up with another two-goal performance as Washington beat Anaheim to push its win streak to eight games.

He ranks ninth in the NHL in goals scored, 14th in points and 13th in plus-minus rating (+20). His four game-winning goals stands 13th in the league. In his past five games, Semin has 10 points, including a four-point effort (one goal, three assists) in a win over Phoenix Saturday.

If the Caps indeed are going to play deep into spring, the Caps have to have both Alexanders doing their thing.

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Friday, January 29, 2010 at 5:57 am by bud

Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Anaheim Ducks, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Washington Capitals