Their numbers are down, Ovechkin was briefly benched and at times both appear to be a fish out of water. What is going on with the Caps talented Russians? Why do their amazing moves no longer work? Why are they no longer racking up the huge stats? 

Some will call this crazy-talk because the Caps sit at 8-3, lead their division and are right there with the conference leaders. Ovechkin has 6 goals and 7 assists while Semin has 2 goals and 5 assists as of today. The Caps appear to be one of the leading contenders to come out of the east. So what is the problem and why should anyone be concerned? 

Truth be told the Russians have a couple of issues. The first being the evolution of their games. Stevie Wonder can see that the Caps opponents have done their homework with regard to Ovechkin and Semin. They know their favorite moves, they know where they like to shoot the puck and they know the curl and drag is their favorite move to try and create space for themselves. The result of this homework is lower numbers for both and an increase in odd man rushes when the curl and drag fails. 

As I watch Ovechkin play I think of Superman using only 10% of his powers. Ovechkin can be the greatest player that ever played the game but he is so busy focusing on only one aspect (scoring-offense) that by the time the lights finally come on his body will no longer be able to keep up with his mind. If he does not earn a Stanley Cup he will have a world of regret because he wasted so much talent. Like Michael Jordan, Ovechkin can dominate almost every aspect of his sport, but sadly Ovechkin chooses not to focus on the defensive side of hockey and it not only hurts him but the chances of the Caps to hoist that Cup. Now that teams have adjusted to his offensive game he is more often frustrated and reverts back to his Ovi vs. the other team tactics. That used to work before and now it creates odd man rushes the other way. Definitely bad. 

In the most recent game I saw several times when the Caps gained the offensive zone and Ovechkin had various options but chose to shoot. Offensive opportunities are few and far between especially in the playoffs so when you get them you cannot waste them. Ovechkin needs to be a better team mate and look for the pass. I understand that it is hard to tell a sniper not to shoot but Ovechkin draws so much attention someone else is bound to have a better shot than he does. 

Ovechkin's line mates are also guilty of watching him instead of filling lanes while going to the net for rebounds or that rare Ovechkin pass. I guess they are so used to Ovechkin doing it all by himself that they freeze. Lately he has not been so successful during his solo trips so perhaps it is time to go to the net with him for rebounds or a pass. 

As I watch Semin play I think of a brain surgeon being asked to perform surgery in the middle of a hockey game. Semin is an excellent passer and a great sniper but he requires so much time and space in order to be effective that he is horrifically inconsistent.  His windup for that wicked wrist shot is like an Achilles heel scenario. The good news is that he can pluck the wings off a fly with the accuracy of the shot but the bad news is that he rarely gets the shot off due to the time it takes for his windup. Even with the obvious flaws in his game he is still so talented that he puts up eye catching numbers. The bottom line with Semin is that until he decides to work harder/smarter he will remain inconsistent during the most critical moments of the Caps season. It also does not help that he has bouts of laziness which cause him to be a hooking penalty magnet further hurting his team. 

Semin is a rare bird...a playmaker that is lazy. Playmakers can't be lazy because the team relies on them to create opportunities for themselves and their line mates. That is what Matt Bradley was trying to say. He took a ton of heat for it and later retracted his statement but their was plenty of truth in what he said. For $6.7 million dollars Semin can give the Caps a lot more than what he currently gives them. An effective playmaker is a good two way player. It is no surprise that Nicky Backstrom is having a big year because he is playing excellent two way hockey. There is no reason Semin can't be as consistent if he puts forth the effort. It certainly would not hurt him to quicken that windup on that wicked wrister. He may also want to ditch the curl and drag move because when it does not work he is prone to hooking penalties while trying to prevent the odd man rush he just created for the other team. 

Given how talented the Russians are no one can blame Capitals Coach, Bruce Boudreau for adopting a strategy of "give the puck to both guys named Alex and get the heck out of their way". Bruce rode that strategy to great success but as we learned in the playoffs, earning a Stanley Cup requires a total team effort. The bottom line for Ovechkin and Semin is they have to evolve or go. No one denies the talent, but if they are not using it for the good of the team they are liabilities and not assets. The Caps made it to the Stanley Cup finals without players like Ovechkin and Semin before. They did it with excellent goal tending and excellent two way hockey. Gretzky's trade proved no one is un-movable and Caps fans need to stop thinking with their hearts and look at the bottom line.