Photo credit: J Pat Carter

Less than twenty minutes into the contest between the Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers, the Caps’ big trade deadline acquisition, veteran winger Martin Erat, went awkwardly into the boards courtesy of a reckless shove by hulking young defenseman Eric Gudbranson. A few anxious seconds later, Caps fans were holding their breath as Marty was helped off the ice by his teammates, clearly favoring his right leg. Later on, the team referred to it as a “lower body injury.” Nothing to be happy about, of course, but it could have been so much worse, especially given Erat’s extensive concussion history.

“Wait! What concussion history?,” you may ask, and rightfully so. After all, Marty has been an NHLer for over a decade, and in all that time the Nashville Predators (his team since his debut in 2003) released exactly zero statements mentioning Martin Erat having a concussion. The ubiquitous “upper body injury” appears numerous times, but never a concussion. In fact, a Google search for “Martin Erat concussion” yields references to just one suspected case – an injury Erat suffered during the last World Championship. So, no worries then, right?

But what if someone actually asked Marty? Because someone did.

Last June, Russian sports portal sports.ru published an exclusive interview with Martin Erat. When reporter Maria Mikhalenko mentions this nasty late hit on Marty by a known cheap-shot artist Jarko Ruutu in the first round of 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, the conversation takes an interesting turn:

Maria Mikhalenko: Did Ruutu’s hit make an impact?

Martin Erat: I felt alright after a while. It happened during last year playoffs.  It wasn’t a dirty hit. But he hit me directly in the head, and I got a concussion.

Mikhalenko: How many concussions have you had during your career?

Erat: Possibly four or five. Probably, the worst one was the one that happened last year, because I had had another concussion not long before. So when Ruutu hit me, that was the second one. I had headaches for a long time afterwards.  But I played through the playoffs, and then returned [to Nashville] during summer for the recovery. We have good doctors in Nashville. They always know what to do with me.

Four or five concussions, and just one known to have happened outside the NHL.

And the concussion Marty refers to as “probably the worst?” That one happened about a month after the NHL proudly announced its official, new and improved, Protocol for Concussion Evaluation and Management. Erat missed just two games before returning to the Preds lineup for their second round series against the Canucks. The Predators conveniently labelled that one an “upper body injury” – maybe just to be consistent with the “upper body injury” Erat suffered two weeks earlier– the one Erat said caused him to miss the last two games of the regular season.

A long list of Erat’s upper body frailties can be found on the Hockey News site under the Transactions tab.

I don’t meant to single out Nashville. Unfortunately, hiding behind the fig leaf of “upper body injury” is a norm throughout the NHL. Just a few days ago, Maple Leafs’ head coach Randy Carlyle shared his personal theory about concussions: the biggest problem with concussions is calling them concussions, which is a “bad word.” This sad comedy act came right after star forward Joffrey Lupul had to be helped off the ice in the game against the Flyers. Lupul appeared unsteady on his skates and disoriented as he left the ice surface – but hey, as long as we don’t call it a concussion, he should be fine, right?

Take a quick look at the NHL players currently listed as out with an upper body injury– 19 players. (The Predators and the Blue Jackets lead the pack with three guys each.) Are all of these 19 guys concussed? No. But as long as teams are allowed to hide behind such an ambiguity, all the NHL’s efforts to combat the concussion epidemic will just be lip service. The league and its players need transparency.

When the Washington Capitals used their 1^st round draft pick to select Russian forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, his puck skills and potential as a future NHL star were already recognized by the hockey world. His off-ice talents were not nearly as well known. Since he became a Capitals prospect, RMNB has been bringing our readers attention to Zhenya’s dabbling in areas as diverse as real estate and pop singing. And now we present to you Evgeny Kuznetsov, the sitcom star.

Stanislav Yarushin, the lead actor in a very popular Russian TV comedy series “Univer – The New Dorm” is a good friend of Kuznetsov. As he tells Sovetsky Sport, the plot for one of the show’s new episodes called for a famous athlete. At first the show offered the role to FC Zenit St Petersburg and Russia National Team star striker Alexander Kerzhakov, who declined the invitation. Then, according to Yarushin, they reached out to a “famous hockey player, Worlds champion” who didn’t even bother to return the call. So it was time for Kuzya to come to the rescue of his old friend, and with Traktor’s head coach Valery Belousov’s permission to trade his stick and skates for the bright studio lights for one day, Evgeny found himself making his small-screen debut.

Here’s the entire episode. Kuznetsov’s headbutt is at the 19:35 mark. (Video via TNT)

The plot called for Kuzya to basically play himself, with one important distinction – his character in the show is Evgeny Kuznetsov, a rising hockey star for Traktor and Team Russia, who is dating a knockout ditzy blond – which is exactly what a 20-year old millionaire would be doing had THIS not happened. The blond is a history major, and failing miserably at it (she thinks Mausoleum is the answer to “What was Lenin’s summer residence?” question on the test).

Once her history instructor (and a big hockey fan) realizes who the blond’s boyfriend is, her fortunes quickly turn for the better – hoping to score a couple of tickets for the upcoming Canada vs. Russia game, the professor showers praise on the pretty ignoramus, even encouraging her to think about graduate school.

He overplays his hand though, as the naïve bimbo rushes to pick her dissertation subject (“Lice infestation in England and France”) and dumps her boyfriend to make sure nothing impedes her illustrious future scientific career. Dejected Kuzya relays the news to the professor. Realizing that his whole ticket scheme relies on the beautiful couple staying together, he rushes to the blonde’s side to clear the misunderstanding, but struggles to get his explanation across due to the girl’s aforementioned lack of brain power. Frustrated, the professor drops all pretense and shouts at the blond, “You are dumb!” – at which point Kuzya, who had just walked in with a bouquet of flowers, takes offense, puts down the flowers, and head-butts the hapless mediator.

GIF by welshhockeyfan

Oh, he also scores two goals against Canadians the next day.

Orlov returns! (Photo credit: Sweetest Hockey On Earth’s Tim Stough)

Playing at Verizon Center on December 6th, an unfriendly shoulder was planted under Dmitry Orlov‘s chin, resulting in an upper body injury that would keep him away from the game he loves for the next three months.

On Saturday night, Orlov was finally back in action– playing for the Hershey Bears against the Norfolk Admirals. Less than a minute into the game, Orlov hoisted the puck over the glass, earning a delay-of-game penalty. Not the start he was loooking for, but — as he tells RMNB- Orlov was just happy to be back in action.

How serious was the injury, and was it hard to come back from it?

Frankly, I don’t even want to talk about it. I am back to playing hockey, and that’s all that matters to me right now!

Did you feel nervous when the game started? Is that maybe why you had that delay of game penalty called against you?

I wasn’t really nervous – either before the game, or when it started. It was just a coincidence – I was unlucky trying to get the puck out of our zone. And then on top of that, we let one in while I was in the penalty box. I was just trying to clear the puck out, but miscalculated slightly – and the puck ended up over the glass.

While you were injured, your Bears teammate Tomas Kundratek surprised a lot of people with his play for the Capitals.

I am not at all surprised by his success in Washington. That’s how it works – someone gets injured on the big team, he gets a call and a chance to impress! Great for him that he is not wasting this opportunity. I think he is working as hard as he can, he wants to play in the NHL; it’s every hockey player’s dream.

With no other Russians on the team, is your English getting better?

Yes, it’s a bit easier when there are other Russian guys on the team, but that’s not how it is right now. I think my English is improving. I would love to speak fluent English, and I am putting a lot of effort into learning the language; it’s far from perfect, of course, right now, but I think it is much better than what I had in the beginning.

Are you in any way discouraged by how things have gone for you lately?

This is my second [full] season in North America. That’s all I am concentrating on for now. I only played in 19 games so far this season. And I missed the game so much! But there is still time this season, two more months to go, so I am looking forward to the chance to work myself back into shape, to get comfortable on the ice, and to gain back my confidence. I have to admit during these three months [away from hockey] I lost a bit of what I had worked on; I need to work on getting it back.

Photo credit: Sweetest Hockey On Earth’s Tim Stough

Photo credit: Kyle Mace of Sweetest Hockey on Earth

UPDATE: Jason Guarente of the Reading Eagles reports that Galiev is expected to be reassigned to Hershey Thursday.

Early on Wednesday, the Hershey Bears assigned Stanislav Galiev — third round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft — to ECHL affiliate Reading Royals. The rookie’s demotion may come as a surprise to many – as just a couple of months ago the young Russian was rated at #29 on Hockey Prospectus Top 100 Prospects list. But to those who follow the Bears hockey regularly, the move makes sense. Since the AHL season started, Stan’s struggled to adjust his game to the pro level.

As the Bears were preparing to face the visiting St. John’s Ice Caps on Saturday, RMNB found the usually gregarious and easygoing Stan in a subdued mood. After recording just one assist in the first eight games of the season, Galiev found himself in Adam Oates’ doghouse as a healthy scratch for three of the next four games — despite scoring the game-winning shootout goal for the Bears on November 2nd. Stan talked to us about his bumpy transition away from the QJMHL, being coached by a Hall of Famer, and his search for confidence on the ice.

Stan Galiev’s bio picture with the Bears.

“It feels like there is a huge difference between playing junior hockey and pro,” Galiev said to me. “I am catching up gradually. Here everybody follows the system, everybody knows what they are supposed to do in any situation, and what everybody else is supposed to do. And there’s no getting away with stuff that you can afford to do in juniors.”

“The two things I feel the need to improve the most,” Galiev continued,” are tactical awareness, which is basically following the system, and of course, defensive play.”

Galiev, at 187 pounds, also has been adjusting to a much more physical league. This is the first time Stan has skated against grownups, and the physical play has been difficult for him. “I must keep working hard on that,” Galiev said, changing the topic to his physique. “And put some kilos on. I worked very hard on that during the summer.”

Galiev has played in North America since he was 16 years old, so it’s not surprising that the language barrier is not one of his troubles right now. Nevertheless, Stan is happy to have his fellow Russian Dmitry Orlov as a teammate. This is the first time he has had a Russian teammate since he came to North America.

“It’s really nice to have Russian guys around,” Galiev remarked. “When I was in Saint John, there were no other Russians – there was one Slovak guy [Tomas Jurko] on the team though, and I understood a bit when he spoke Slovak, and when I spoke Russian he could understand some as well. So that’s how we talked at first – in Slovako-Russian!”

With Adam Oates induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame only a couple of days away, I wondered how Stan felt about being coached by someone whose creativity and vision on the ice were legendary.

“It’s great that Adam Oates joined the coaching staff here, it’s really interesting to work with him, and everybody likes it,” a nodding Galiev said. “He was, after all, a star with the Capitals in his playing days. He helps us a lot, with great attention to details, even the tiniest ones; I think this will be a positive influence on everybody.”

Getting help and advice from a hall of famer is great – but a goose egg in the goal-scoring department a month into his first pro season is less great, especially for a youngster whose path to the NHL will depends on production. Being a healthy scratch for (at that point) two games in a row doesn’t help either.

“I am trying not to think too much about [being benched],” Galiev said. “I just need to play hockey and the goals will come. I think once it happens, it may help me become a bit more confident in myself. And not just my own confidence – hopefully the coach will start trusting me more, like in a third period of a tight game.”

Despite his struggles, Galiev, who was immediately inserted into Reading’s line-up on Wednesday, is positive things will break his way.

“Of course it is hard, but I am not going to complain,” Galiev said. “That’s what coach decided, so that’s how it should be. Maybe it’s because I made mistakes, or didn’t fully give myself to the game. But I am ready to return as soon as I am called upon.”

That’s all you can ask for.

Photo credit: Tim Stough of Sweetest Hockey on Earth

Photo credit: Sovetsky Sport

Last week, former Washington Capital Alex Semin settled on his lockout destination, surprising everyone by choosing Sokol Krasnoyarsk, a minor league team from his hometown. “When I was leaving for the NHL, I dreamed that if there is ever a decent team and an opportunity, I would definitely play in front of my local fans,” Semin explained during his introductory press conference. “And my (90-year-old) grandma hasn’t seen me play in person for awhile. I’ll give her a present.”

It was only a matter of time before the big guns of the Russian hockey media showed up in Krasnoyarsk, far from a hockey hotbed, to get the full story on why Semin came home. For their trouble, Pavel Lysenkov of Sovetsky Sport and Alexander Rozhkov of Championat.com got personal tours of the city from Sasha on the eve of his debut in the VHL. Semin showed them the rink where he learned to skate, his school, and the apartment building where he grew up.

Photo credit: championat.com

The ice rink where Semin made his first strides was the only indoor ice arena in the city twenty years ago. Today it is under major renovation. “They are not going to get it done by November, as promised,” Semin bemoaned to Sovetsky Sport. “There’s no ice-making equipment. The boards aren’t put together yet.”

“I started skating here when I was five,” Semin continued. “My dad put me in figure skating first. In a couple of months, I moved on to hockey. My dad just filed down the toe picks on the blades.”

The reporters and Sasha were driven around in an old Volga by a Sokol staff driver they call “Uncle Sergey.” Sergey has known Semin since he was a kid and decided to share a story about Semin and one of his youth team’s road trips.

“I remember they went to Finland, and they had some fun there,” Sergey began. “I am not sure if it was Sasha or someone else, but somebody broke a bed. So the Finns made the team’s coach buy that bed, which he then brought back all the way to Siberia. You can’t just throw away good stuff.”

Semin disputed some details of the broken bed story, as well as another legend, told by the driver and repeated by the play-by-play announcer during Semin’s first game for Sokol on Friday. That one was about Semin’s dad’s unorthodox incentive system for young Alex during the early years: a chocolate bar for every goal, and two for every assist recorded by the future NHL star.

“Where is Uncle Sergey coming from with all this stuff? Maybe I just forgot everything? I think we broke the bed when we went to St. Petersburg for the Golden Puck Tournament [Editor's note: Premier kids hockey competition in Russia started by legendary Soviet coach Tarasov]. And nobody rewarded me with chocolate for hockey. My father promised me hockey sticks.”

The Young Sasha Tour of Krasnoyarsk next visited Krasnoyarsk School #141, where Alex did not show up too often, and when he did, he usually made a dash for a seat in the last row. “This is where I studied, or more precisely, skipped classes. Because I played hockey a lot. But there were subjects I liked – math, geography. Everything else – I just copied from someone else.”

Photo credit: Sovetsky Sport

The visit to Sasha’s alma mater did not go very smoothly. The security guard refused to let Semin and his entourage enter the building. The principal, who also used to be Sasha’s math teacher, came to the rescue. Not to be outdone by Uncle Sergey, she volunteered her own funny “baby Sasha” story. “I reprimanded him very sternly once. It was the night of the graduation ball. Everybody was there, dressed up. And only Sasha was late. And then I see him walking down the hall and chewing gum. I told him – spit it out immediately!”

As the journey moves on to the next stop – the yard, Semin opened up a bit. “For a while our family was doing well. My dad worked for KrAZ (an aluminum company). He was a department head, but then he was laid off. He went on to work as a coach. Life was hard, just like it was for everybody. We had to grow our own tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes. We ate whatever we grew. I used to always help my parents and grandma [with garden chores] at our dacha.”

Having arrived to the yard besides the building where he grew up, Semin lamented the loss of his childhood playgrounds, replaced by parked cars and “guys drinking beer.” His best childhood friend – also named Sergey, talked about the neighborhood where they grew up to Alexander Rozhkov of Championat.com. “It was easy to find trouble in every neighborhood; The Green Grove wasn’t an exception. But nobody touched Sasha – as an athlete, he was respected. Remember the movie – Slumdog Millionaire? That’s about Sasha, only the main character is from India, and Sasha is from Krasnoyarsk.”

As the Grand Tour of Krasnoyarsk wound down, Sasha answered the final question, what he dislikes about people. “Hypocrisy,” he told Sovetsky Sport. “I don’t like when they say something – and then something different behind your back. If you want something – come and talk to me. Say it to my face.”

Photo credit: Sovetsky Sport

Photo credit: Maria Ananova

After winning gold at the IIHF World Championships in Sweden, soon-to-be UFA Alexander Semin met the media in his hometown Krasnoyarsk. It was actually take two for the press conference, as Sasha had slept through the appointment the previous day, missing it altogether. He didn’t answer his mobile phone when the press tried to track him down, but did answer his house phone eventually, just to say that he had overslept and would not be coming.

Today he apologized, blaming jet lag, and then got down to answering questions. Sport-Express’ Dmitry Uskov transcribed the entire press conference, where Semin talked about whether Ovechkin would be visiting him, whether the KHL is an option for him this summer, and his plans for the future.

Alex Semin: I want to apologize for yesterday (missing the press-conference), it just happened, I was very tired from flying, jetlag, 12 hour time difference. I only have positive emotions from our victory, we came only for three games, and it was enough. We are meeting president Putin in Moscow on May 29th.

Question: Is there any clarity on where your career will resume in the next season?

Alex Semin: I can’t say anything concrete at this time. I’m waiting for July 1st, until the negotiations in the NHL open, for now I am unemployed.

Question: Are your priorities in Russia or North America?

Alex Semin: I can’t answer. I don’t know.

Question: During the final against Slovakia, when did you sense the victory?

Alex Semin: From the first minute of the game we could not make a mistake. This was the first time ever I played in this kind of Sbornaya. I think the coach is the main reason. I played for Bilyaletdinov once before, it was about 5 years ago. The most important is defensive play, with 100% dedication, everything depends on it. Also, there were a lot of new players, the team makeup was different, more young players. I felt comfortable. We had people who can play both defense and offense. You could see it yourself, Malkin was practically winning some games by himself.

Question: When the score was 5-2 in the final, it appeared everybody on the team was trying to set Malkin up to score so that he’d win the scoring title.

Alex Semin: Honestly, I don’t think so, he had a lot of scoring chances, he wanted to score, and he did – good for him. I wanted to get a hat trick, but it didn’t work out. Maybe it’s my tradition to go 2+1 in the final. (smile)

Question: Have you started learning English?

Alex Semin: I know [it], I just don’t like interacting, especially in English. I don’t have 100% command of it, and to stand and think about what to say – that’s not for me. I am comfortable explaining myself if I am at a store or somewhere else. I am understood, and I understand well.

Question: Is Ovechkin coming to visit you in Krasnoyarsk?

Alex Semin: I don’t know yet, he is traveling with his girl. She plays tennis. When finished, we’ll talk and make plans. For now everybody just resting.

Question: What are your most immediate plans?

Alex Semin: I am going to catch up on sleep for the first week, then, maybe I’ll fly somewhere for a vacation. Not that much time left, the training starts in mid July. And if I stay in Russia, I’ll have to start practicing much earlier.

Photo credit: Greg Flume

The final day of media availability is often referred to by reporters as the longest day of the year — and probably the least enjoyable. The news about Dale Hunter deciding to go back to his digs in London created a lot of buzz, and stories were told– like about how Jay Beagle tried to put his skates on over his swollen, broken foot before Game Six. But the general mood was one of somber –- not surprising, given how close the team came to Eastern Conference Finals.

The Capitals have a handful of free agents to deal with during this offseason, but none of them are as high-profile or as controversial as Alexander Semin. Will he bolt for the riches of the KHL, sign with another NHL team –- or return to the Capitals? I didn’t expect a straight answer to the question, so we just talked about… well, whatever he wanted. That includes Hunter hockey vs. Boudreau’s open style, the success of Braden Holtby, and his ice time.

On the playoffs:

This really was, in a way, the first playoffs for me with such tension, the games… everything. It was really interesting and exciting, seven games, overtimes, it was fun. This probably was the most memorable year ever. The other ones we either went out in the first round, or like last year, we lost in four straight in the second round. This time, it was both rounds seven games, all were one goal games.

Yes, we lost, but you can’t dwell on it. Such is this game, the stronger one wins. Everything was in our hands, but they took it, and we didn’t. In the end they won. Of course you analyze certain chances, trying to think, why I didn’t score here or there, why we lost that or that one. But now it’s in the past and life goes on. You can’t get hung up on it.

On his health:

I was lucky to stay healthy this season. There were a couple of minor ones early in the season, but nothing significant. My first season in the NHL when I was able to pretty much play in every game.

On Hunter’s system:

We did not have the same system the whole year. I think if Hunter was with the team from the very beginning of the season, things could have turned out a bit differently. He didn’t have enough time to build the team the way he wanted; we just got comfortable with his system in time for playoffs.

The whole year it was up-and-down, we win a game, we lose a game. By the time we got to playoffs, the team finally understood how to play the game he wanted, defense first, no mistakes, blocking shots, all five guys together. But during the regular season, intensity is not the same as in the playoffs. In postseason, every goal is worth its weight in gold.

On Holtby:

I think we played just as well as the Rangers, maybe even better than them in some moments. Their goalie played great, but so did ours. I wasn’t actually surprised by how well Holtby played. I knew what he was capable of from last year when he won ten games in a row, so I knew if he was in goal, we’d be fine.

On Hunter Hockey vs. run-and-gun:

Of course, personally, I like to play the open style hockey more, the one we used to play. It’s more fun –- open, creative passing, creating things off the rush. That’s the style of hockey I enjoy playing, but I understand, like it or not, in the playoffs you win if you play defensive hockey.

And what about Semin’s personal struggle in the scoring department? He had always produced respectable numbers (in the first round of playoffs at least), scoring on average almost every other game. But in the second round, the Caps forward’s scoring pace over his whole career has been a disappointment, with one goal in eighteen games played, and none in seven games against the Rangers this year. Does Sasha have an explanation?

Yeah I don’t know, it was like I was under a spell in this series with goals. I had a couple of good passes, and overall I didn’t play badly, but it just wasn’t happening for me.

Was this series a bad one? Yes, result-wise it was, but if I look at the way I played, I don’t think I was that bad. I could even say I played rather decently. I don’t know what everybody else thinks, but I think if you create chances, if you work hard…

But of course, if you don’t score, that just means you’ve got to work harder. Patience and hard work will overcome everything. There is no other way. You can’t give up, it’s life, and we learn as we live. You know, if it were easy to score, if you score one after another, it wouldn’t be interesting. You have to fight through, come up with something new.

Unquestionably, Semin’s relationship with the press, both mainstream and “new media,” has been far from perfect. To a degree, this lack of rapport with the press over the years has contributed to the abundance of unflattering opinion and commentary about the 28-year-old. I was curious to find out what Sasha thinks about this.

I try to stay away from reading the newspapers, because often it’s just total nonsense. Sometimes you grab a newspaper after the game, try to read about the game I played in, and it’s just… I don’t even know how it’s possible, which game did this reporter watch? He watched the game, why does he need to invent stuff? Yeah I understand, to keep people interested… but I played in that game, so I don’t need to read this.

About my game personally, yeah, there always people [in the media] who are on your side, and those who are against you. Of course it is always interesting to read some really nasty stuff about yourself! Especially the comments on the internet, all those who pretend to be GMs, I would do this, and I would do that, and meanwhile they have never seen anything but computer in their entire life… somewhere in the basement, spewing nonsense. If you don’t want to have all those thoughts in your head, better not to read any of that stuff.

All this was great, but there was no way I was walking away from this conversation without bringing up Semin’s plans for the future. So, let’s talk free agency, Sasha. …Yeah, right! “There is nothing to say on that, and even if there were, I wouldn’t tell you,” he told me, flat-out. “For now, I just don’t know.”

That didn’t get me very far, so I tried a different angle. I brought up the recent news about Semin’s ex-teammate Sergei Fedorov becoming the General Manager of CSKA Moscow, the most storied hockey club of the Soviet era. And with one of the Russian Big Oil players RosNeft now sponsoring the team, and the exception from KHL salary cap for Russian NHLers returning home… “I talked to Fedorov [after he got the GM job at CSKA], congratulated him,” he said. “I am not surprised by [this development]. I think he will do well. He had a great career as a player, I am sure he’ll succeed in this one as well.”

“So, if Fedorov invites you to join him in Moscow…” I started my sentence, only to have Sasha glare at me, slam his hands together – and then we both laughed and moved on. “I am still under contract, so I am not even thinking about it. When we make it to July 1st, then we’ll see.”

We were almost out of time, as Sasha was running late for the 2 o’clock team meeting, and then off to the airport to catch his flight to Stockholm, to join Team Russia for the World Championship. We talked a little bit about the plans for summer.

“First, the Worlds,” he said. “Then, just rest. I have a summer house on Krasnoyarsk Sea [a huge man-made lake created by damming Yenisey River]. I love spending my time there. It’s quiet. Fishing – I love it. And lots of bears wondering around.” [Ed. note – Ilya, beware!]

Last of all, I asked him if he felt tired from hockey.

“Hockey is what I love to do. I just wish it wasn’t taken away from me, the way I lost ice time. If you are one of the team leading players, it’s just hard when you get just 13 minutes a game–but it was all for the benefit of the team.”

There was no sarcasm or bitterness in his voice, just a hockey player who wanted to play hockey. My #SashaCares meter was off the charts.

As I was wrapping up my chat with Alex Semin just outside Caps locker room at Kettler last Sunday, Dmitry Orlov was just coming off the ice.

While it is official RMNB policy that any time is a good time to interview Dima, I was a bit hesitant to put my recorder in the young Caps defenseman’s face. After all, anybody can understand how frustrating it must be for Dmitry to fulfill his dream of becoming an NHL player — and then to find himself firmly planted in the press box for the duration of the team’s playoff run, even after playing in all but a handful of regular season games since he was called up in late November.

Luckily for me, Dima came to my rescue by initiating the conversation himself. “Come on, interview me,” he said with a wry, but welcoming smile. “I am a forgotten man now. I am not playing, so nobody wants to talk to me!” I didn’t need to be asked twice.

“It’s hard to watch the games from the box.” said Orlov. “You want to be out there playing. But there is nothing I can do about it – it’s all for the better of the team. The coaches told me, practice and be ready, you never know. But the team is playing well, so why change anything.”

I wanted to find out if there was anything specific that led to Orlov’s transition from being a regular part of the lineup during the season to seemingly being the 8th defenseman on the team’s depth chart in the postseason. Did any particular mistake cause this demotion? Not according to Dima.

“Well, we always review the games and go over mistakes I make. But they just told me in the beginning, we’ll start with the experienced guys, and then we’ll see. And since the team is playing pretty well, it doesn’t make much sense to change things. You don’t change horses in midstream.”

Orlov was certainly saying all the right things, but his disappointment with being shut out of playing hockey was clear. “I never had to go for a whole month without playing a game. It’s hard. But there is nothing I can do about it. I have to remain optimistic. All I can do is support the guys who are out there playing. But everything is for the better of the team, so I understand, and don’t take it personally.”

With the IIHF World Championship underway in Stockholm and Helsinki, and a couple of roster spots for defensemen on Team Russia still up for grabs, it seems like Coach Bilyaletdinov has been saving one of those spots for Orlov. I brought it up, but Dima’s thoughts for now seemed to be concentrating solely on hockey this side of the ocean.

“I do follow what’s going on with the Sbornaya [Ed. Note: Team Russia] I talked to [Team Russia’s North American scout] Igor Kravchuk once during the season, but that’s about it. I never had a chance to play for Sbornaya yet, but I think I am gaining valuable experience here even right now. Of course you want to play, it’s always better than to watch.”

Google “enigmatic hockey player,” and your search results will likely be dominated by references to a certain Russian winger of the Washington Capitals –- not the team captain and perennial All-Star Alex Ovechkin, but rather his compatriot Alexander Semin.

Nobody ever accused The Other Alex of lacking the talent to play the game at the highest level, but he does have a reputation for running hot and cold. It’s no wonder no one ever knows exactly what to expect from the twenty-eight-year-old Sibiryak — even though he is currently the longest-serving member of the Capitals. It certainly doesn’t help that the last time you read an interview with Alexander Semin was– well… let’s just say a long time ago.

In an attempt to make a small dent in the shroud of mystery surrounding the Capitals winger, RMNB caught up with Semin at Kettler shortly after Capitals practice on Sunday. Sasha talked to us about playing the new defensive system, compared the two All-Star goalies the Caps have faced in this year Stanley Cup playoffs, and shared his thoughts on the upcoming 10^th anniversary of being drafted by the Capitals.

And did he ever want to be an astronaut, just like Ilya Bryzgalov? Read on!

Igor Kleyner: How do you compare this series with the 1^st round?

Alex Semin: It’s quite a bit different from the series we played with Boston. That one had a lot of physical play, in every area of the ice. Against the Rangers, to me, it feels that there is a bit more space out there to make plays. But overall, as you can see, all the games are very tight. Every game we have played so far has been very close; we have had what – 11 games so far, and pretty much every single one of them was a one goal game… except for the first one we lost to Rangers 1-3. But in the playoffs – it’s always unpredictable.

Igor Kleyner: Tim Thomas and Henrik Lundqvist have very different styles – which one is tougher to beat, and do you change anything in your game based on which goalie you are facing?

Alex Semin: Thomas is a very active and mobile goalie; he always plays far out of the net. Lundqvist is very different, his style is to stay on the line; no matter what you do, you can’t pull him out of there. He is very patient, has great reflexes and always in the right position, so the puck always finds him. Very hard to score against him – I have had my chances, but so far no luck in scoring against Lundqvist. For me personally, I think he is a tougher goalie to score on, at least right now. Against Thomas, it is important to take your time, to have a pause to wait for him to make the first move – but when it’s Lundqvist, he will stick to his position deep in the crease, so it is pretty much pointless to try to fake him out. You have to rely on your shot to score against him.

Semin has so far been unsuccessful in his attempts to get one past King Henrik , which is surprising considering Sasha’s scoring rate against the Vezina nominee during previous playoffs meetings. Between the 2009 and 2011 1^st round matchups against the Rangers, he recorded 8 goals in 12 games. In fact, Semin scored more playoff goals against Lundqvist than against all other NHL goalies combined. Does Sasha has have an explanation for this sudden change of fortune?

Alex Semin: I am not doing anything differently – but I think my shots are getting blocked more. There were a few moments – it looked like the puck was going in, but it was blocked. It feels like they are playing differently against me, with all this shots being blocked, I don’t think I am getting as much space as I used to. And I don’t think it’s so much about goaltending – it’s not on my mind. Doesn’t matter who is in goal – I have to go out there and score.

Igor Kleyner: How hard was the triple-OT game – both to play and to recover from afterwards?

Alex Semin: Frankly, this was the first [3OT] game for me – but I didn’t feel overly tired, maybe because I did not get that much ice time [Ed note - 34 shifts, 25.38 TOI] – so it wasn’t that big of a deal. I think I have had tougher three period games! Of course, staying in uniform for over five hours – you have to get some food in, bananas, energy bars. And the next day – you feel it of course, but it’s just better not to think about it too much.

Igor Kleyner: We often hear from hockey analysts and even your opponents that it is harder to play against the Capitals this year than it used to be. But is it more difficult for you personally to play for the Capitals considering the changes in the team’s style of play?

Alex Semin: I don’t think my style of playing hockey changed much. I play the way I play. Of course I have to pay more attention to the defense… not even more attention, it was always a part of my game, but we now play a more simple game, and we make fewer mistakes because of that. Sometimes, especially if it’s a tight one goal game, in the neutral zone – it’s just unacceptable to make risky plays; you have to make choices that are 100%.

This year’s edition of the Washington Capitals is not exactly what we’re used to. No longer do we see a free flowing run-and-gun offensive juggernaut with porous defense. Some expected Alexander Semin to be the Capital who was least-prepared for such a change of style, but as he told Dmitry Chesnokov of Sovetsky Sport a couple of weeks ago, playing Hunter Hockey is not really new to him. So who is the man who taught Sasha to play Hunter Hockey long before we knew what Hunter Hockey means?

Coach Vorobjov was the mentor that helped Semin develop his defensive game before he came to the NHL.

His name is Pyotr Ilich Vorobiev. The comparison should give you some reference — the “Russian Ken Hitchcock” is most known for his affinity for a stifling defensive system often referred to as the trap. When Alex Semin went back to Russia during the 2004-2005 NHL lockout, he joined Lada Togliatti of the Russian Super League (predecessor of the KHL), coached at the time by Pyotr Vorobiev. Tough as nails, Vorobiev was a pretty good hockey player himself in the 70s, playing for a famous Soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov most of his career, and then learning the coaching trade under the tutelage of another Soviet coaching legend Vladimir Yurzinov.

Alex Semin: Yes, [when I played for Vorobiev] it was a very similar style. Everybody must play defense, all five guys play as a unit, must come back, get in the way of shots, prevent and block shots, minimize the other team’s chances in the slot. In the corners – let them skate there, let them shoot from the corners, that’s a low scoring chance, not even one out of ten shots like that will make its way into our goal. So [playing this style] is nothing new to me.

Lada Togliatti 2004-2005 Official Team Photo: Semin is the third from the right in the front row, Vorobiev is 8th from right. Click to enlarge.

When 20 year old Semin arrived in Togliatti, Pyotr Vorobiev took him under his wing, and the two developed a personal bond that is still strong. Star players can often name one coach who holds that special place in their hearts. But you just wouldn’t expect that for Alexander Semin, a player known for his offensive flair, his special mentor would be a quintessential blue-collar, no-nonsense, trap specialist.

Alex Semin: When I just came into adult hockey, he was my first coach. I owe him a lot. There were a lot of people who didn’t believe in me, who were saying “Why are you babysitting him? What do you need him for? He has no talent!” But it’s always like that with young players, when they just start. The most important thing is to get the young kid going on the right track, and then it’s up to him to make it. He came to visit me a few years ago – I think that was when we also were playing the Rangers. He is trying again to come this year, but there have been some problems with his visa, hopefully it’s getting resolved so he can come here again

Of course, this wouldn’t be a RMNB interview if we didn’t ask at least one question on the lighter side.

Igor Kleyner: A few of your fellow Russian NHL stars recently talked about what their alternative career choice would be. For example, Ilya Bryzgalov recently talked about becoming an astronaut, Kovalchuk mentioned taxi cab driving…

Alex Semin: Yeah, (laughing) Bryzgalov, he is always into his space exploration stuff. Me, ever since childhood, there were three things for me – hockey, bandy and soccer. I always thought I would end up doing one of those three. Bandy is very popular in Krasnoyarsk, we always have a very strong team there. For a while, I played both bandy and hockey in parallel.

[Ed note: Bandy is very popular sport in Scandinavia and Russia. Think of it as a mixture of ice and field hockey played on a soccer-size ice sheet. Outdoors. In the middle of winter, with the average high temperature in Krasnoyarsk in January being about 12 °F. Talking point for the next “Russian hockey players aren’t tough” conversation.]

We’re approaching the 10^th anniversary of the 2002 Entry Draft, when the Washington Capitals selected Alexander Semin with their 1^st round pick. I asked Sasha to take a quick look back at the decade.

“Time flies,” he said after a moment of hesitation. “Especially the recent years, time goes by real fast. When you are young, not so much, but lately, it’s just incredible how quickly time flies. It feels like we started the season just yesterday – but look [where we are] now… You don’t even notice… I remember the time, when Vitya Kozlov came here, he told me ‘You won’t even notice how quickly 10 years in the NHL will fly by.’ And I was like, ‘Oh come on! What are you talking about?’ And now, what has it been for me, eight, seven years already? So, yeah, it’s better not to think about it!”

Orlov and other Caps scratches look on from the press box. (Photo credit: Clydeorama)

It’s been a season of unexpected trials and disappointments for the Washington Capitals, but if there’s been one pleasant surprise, it’s been Dmitry Orlov. The young defenseman was not expected to make a permanent impact with the club this season, but after being called up on an emergency basis early in the year, Orlov simply earned his keep, becoming a mainstay even on a roster that frequently had defensemen to spare. Orlov has yet to play in the postseason, with the coaching staff so far relying on more experienced players to man the blueline, but if the Caps manage to make it past the first round, he may just get his chance.

Before the playoffs began, Orlov talked with Hockey World’s Andrey Osadchenko about about Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and his unexpected breakthrough year. I provide a translation below.

Andrey Osadchenko: You played for Washington in 60 games during the regular season. Did you surprise yourself by how quickly you became a mainstay player for the Capitals?

Dmitry Orlov: Yes, to a degree I got lucky, I didn’t spent much time in Hershey. When they called me up to Washington I totally didn’t expect to spend the whole season in the NHL. Of course, I wanted to grab a spot on the team – I was full of positive emotions from playing for the Capitals. I had no idea how long was going to stay in Washington for. In the end, I played for 60 games – huge experience.

Andrey Osadchenko: Our [Russian] players quite seldom have anything good to say about the AHL, especially Hershey.

Dmitry Orlov: Of course it’s hard to play there. Especially if you played in the KHL before. Because the KHL is a better league, and hockey is more interesting there. So it would be hard to play the whole season in the AHL. It’s good that everything turned out the way I wanted when I moved to America: got a chance to play for Washington, and managed to hold on to my spot here… Nevertheless, I can not say anything bad about Hershey. It is , of course a bit boring there, not much to do in town, but I wasn’t thinking about that – I was fully concentrating on hockey. I wanted to improve my game, to show how hard I try and how I can help the team. I wanted to earn a call up to the Capitals, did not want to be distracted. But it is very hard in the AHL, just because of the constant bus rides. They take a lot of your strength. But I did not leave [Russia] to play in the AHL for two or three years, I counted on making the main team.

Andrey Osadchenko: You say there is not much to do in Hershey. Is there really much more entertainment in Washington? Isn’t there nothing but white government buildings?

Dmitry Orlov: No, there is plenty to do. And there are Russian guys here. In Hershey, I was by myself. Except when I just came, Dima Kugryshev also played there. So the two of us were going crazy together – didn’t know what to do with our free time. But in Washington there is plenty of entertainment. It is, after all, the capital. And lots of small towns around it. We actually live in one of them – Arlington. That’s where our practice rink is. So, you can’t even compare Hershey and Washington.

On top of that, I get a lot of help from the Russian guys here. If it weren’t for them, it would be harder for me. Although, I would have concentrated more on learning the language. But I pay a lot of attention to that anyway. I understand more and more now. But I am very happy that there are other Russians on the team, and that I am here. I do not regret leaving Russia, everything is working out great.

Andrey Osadchenko: Some say that it is easier to play in the NHL than in the AHL. Here everybody plays the position, everybody knows what to do, while it is more chaotic on the farm. Have you noticed?

Dmitry Orlov: Yes. I heard that before. It is true, it is simpler to play here than in the AHL. But the difference is not that great. And the playing calendar is also quite tough. So for me, this season turned out to be tough. I played 60 games here, in Russia it was usually around 40. Sometimes I went to Sbornaya, sometimes something else – all together, I played less. And there was more time to rest. Here, we usually play every other day, sometimes even the next day. So this aspect is not easy. But now we have Stanley Cup ahead, so you must forget about fatigue, start from scratch and play the game as if the season just started. Everything is on emotions, and because of that you feel full of energy. This will be the first playoff in my career – I really look forward to finding out what it’s like.

Andrey Osadchenko: When did you first realize you are playing in the NHL?

Dmitry Orlov: Hard to say. Probably the very first game. Although, coming out on the ice, I didn’t really understand anything. I was in a strange condition. So the full realization came after the game. I played, came home, went to bed, and just layed there for a while thinking about the game, analyzing it. And then it dawned on me – that’s it, I just played my first NHL game. I felt great. It happened! My childhood dream came true!

Andrey Osadchenko: Did your childhood expectations match the reality?

Dmitry Orlov: I wouldn’t say that I had any concrete expectations. Yes, I thought about playing in the NHL. But any specifics, or anything that would be going on around – honestly, I never envisioned that.

Andrey Osadchenko: How was your first NHL goal?

Dmitry Orlov: It took a very long time (laughing). I could not score for awhile, and it bothered me. I was upset. I was doing everything – I played well, had good shots, but… somewhere I was just unlucky, the pucks were hitting posts, somewhere the goalies were too good. I kept thinking “When am I finally going to score?!” And then, finally, sometime in mid December I finally got it. I was very happy. Although I have to admit, I got very lucky – I scored essentially from behind the goal. But it does not matter – I think I will remember that goal forever. I got that puck later, I have it now.

Andrey Osadchenko: You also got to try yourself in a shootout this season. When was the last time you did that?

Dmitry Orlov: When I was a kid. Never with an adult team. And then they put me on (against the Islanders)… Would be better if they didn’t (laughing)! The puck slid off the stick, everybody laughed at me. I laughed at it myself, because it really did look funny. Although, when it happened, I wasn’t laughing at all. I was really upset. I don’t know why it happened. Probably couldn’t handle the nerves – so my hands started shaking.

Andrey Osadchenko: But you have to note the good standing you enjoy with the coaching staff of the Capitals. Some other rookie could be easily sent back to the farm for such mistake.

Dmitry Orlov: The coaches always help me with advice, point out all of my mistakes. After every game they always show the video and say, you played it well here, and badly here. Sometimes they even yell at you to “wake you up.” And sometimes they praise you. I have good coaches. I am thankful to them for believing in me and letting me play the whole season. When Bruce Boudreau was replaced by Dale Hunter, I was very worried. Because I just came up and played four games, and here comes new head coach. I thought they were going to send me back down. But everything turned out well.

Andrey Osadchenko: Do you remember when you “caught” the worst of the coach’s wrath?

Dmitry Orlov: (After a pause) I don’t recall being yelled at too much. Yes, we talk about my mistakes right after the game, but I don’t think the coach ever lost his temper.

Andrey Osadchenko: They say Bruce Boudreau had less authority with the team than Alex Ovechkin, which led to a conflict. Was that so?

Dmitry Orlov: Honestly, I don’t know. I wasn’t even on that team – I only played four games under Boudreau. I never heard about any conflict, and never saw anything during that week and a half. Maybe those were just rumors?

Andrey Osadchenko: What impression did Alex Ovechkin make on you?

Dmitry Orlov: Sasha is a captain and a good person. He really is, as they call him here, Alex the Great. He always supports me, helps me, gives advice. His help is very valuable, because he has been playing here for awhile. The same with Sasha Semin. I always listen to them. They are older and more experienced, there is a lot I can learn from them.

Andrey Osadchenko: Your former Junior Sbornaya teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov has been avoiding a straight answer for the whole season. Now he is coming to Washington, now he is not… do you think he can fit in with the Capitals and does the team even need him?

Dmitry Orlov: Kuzya will make the right choice for himself. He needs to think it through – he is already married, after all. It is not an easy choice. I understand him – I was in this situation myself last year. I also was thinking, to leave or to stay. It is not an easy decision, you never know how things turn out.

If Kuzya comes to Washington, we will welcome him. I think he will fit in with the team. He is a good player and shows it every game. Also, Zhenya is getting better all the time. Good for him. It’s a pleasure to watch him play. I think he will easily be able to play here.

Andrey Osadchenko: Following your victory in WJC in Buffalo, Ovechkin was one of the first to congratulate you – right from the Washington’s locker room. Have you talked with him about that tournament?

Dmitry Orlov: Yes. He asked questions, it was interesting for him. Not surprisingly, because it had been eight years since Sbornaya won the gold medals. So yes, we talked about that victory, in the very beginning of the season. Then we watched WJC-2012 together in January.

Andrey Osadchenko: Andrey Markov in 2011 had a bet with PK Subban, so he had to wear Russian jersey to Montreal’s practice after your victory. Was there anything like that in Washington?

Dmitry Orlov: Yes. Ovechkin had a bet with Karl Alzner, who lost and came to practice in Team Russia jersey.

Andrey Osadchenko: Did you have a bet with the Swedes? Nicklas Backstrom, for example?

Dmitry Orlov: I don’t think so. Not with me for sure, and I never heard anything. But you better ask Sasha if he had a bet with Backstrom or Johansson.

Andrey Osadchenko: How was your traditional NHL rookie dinner?

Dmitry Orlov: We didn’t have it this season.

Andrey Osadchenko: So you were shortchanged?

Dmitry Orlov: Why? Just happened that way. Maybe next year.

Andrey Osadchenko: Do you talk with with another NHLer from Novokuznetsk – Flyers goalie Sergey Bobrovsky?

Dmitry Orlov: Of course. We talk after the games, and we went to dinner together when he came to Washington. We have a good relationship. Last year, before I left, I talked to him about the NHL and everything. His advice also helped. He is a good goalie and a smart guy. There is always something to talk about with him.

Andrey Osadchenko: Does he complain about being a back up?

Dmitry Orlov: No. of course he wants to play, it’s understandable. I think on a different team he could be a number one goalie. But in the situation he is in – nothing can be done. But when he gets a chance – I think his concentration is like 200%.

Andrey Osadchenko: What’s on your mind just before your first career playoff?

Dmitry Orlov: Bobrovsky and both of our Alexes told me that it’s a completely different game. Everybody comes to play as if there was no 82 game season. Everybody fights for every centimeter of ice, every moment. Everybody playes to the end. You have to be prepared both physically and mentally. Often these are one goal games. We are facing Boston, the Stanley Cup champions. It’s a good team. Especially physically – all of their players are big. It will be very hard. It’s good that Backstrom came back, we play more confidently with him.

Andrey Osadchenko: Is Zdeno Chara a perfect defenseman? He appears to be invincible.

Dmitry Orlov: Yeah, he is really big. Takes a lot of space on the ice (laughing). Of course it is difficult to play against him. Chara is a very good player. Played for so many years, has great experience. But I would not say that he is clearly the best. All defensemen have their own style. For example, Lidstrom, you can just watch him, and watch him. How long has he been playing in the NHL? Probably 25 years. These are the people to learn from, real stars.

Andrey Osadchenko: By the way, Chara speaks very good Russian. Did you know that?

Dmitry Orlov: (Laughing) I think I shouldn’t joke around with him. We are in different weight classes.

Andrey Osadchenko: Another Boston player, Milan Lucic, had an unpleasant incident this season, running into Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller. Are you concerned? Because Washington has a problem with healthy goalies right now.

Dmitry Orlov: Yes, Tomas Vokoun has been injured for a long time, and Michal Neuvirth is just starting to skate. But we also have Braden Holtby, he played for Washington last year, he is a good goalie.

Andrey Osadchenko: Can you say that regardless of how playoff turns out for Washington, this has been a successful season for you personally?

Dmitry Orlov: You always want more. Of course it is great that I am in Washington, that they trust me and I am playing. Nevertheless, I am not ready to grade myself yet. The season is not over. When everything is done, then it’s time to grade.