Trailing 3-0 and still in search of their first win, one would think the Carolina Hurricanes would want a dangerous goal-scorer like Alex Semin on the ice.
One would be wrong.
Semin barely played at all during last night’s third period in Vancouver, his coach making the decision to bench the 30-year-old, who was sent to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct with 16 minutes left in the contest.
“He’d played enough,” coach Bill Peters said, per NHL.com. “I don’t think we need to take undisciplined penalties when we are trying to dig out of a hole, right? You’re in a hole. Quit digging.”
Not that Semin has been a dangerous scorer this season anyway. Suffice to say, no goals and just two assists in eight games is not what’s expected of a player with a $7 million cap hit. Though to be fair, last night’s penalty was his first of 2014-15. (Capitals fans will remember his many trips to the box during his time in Washington.)
The Hurricanes went on to lose, 4-1.
Related: Refs ‘have it out’ for Semin