The Washington Capitals' 4-3 win over the Phoenix Coyotos on Monday night came without Alexander Semin in the lineup. Coach Bruce Boudreau elected to scratch the talented winger for poor play, a decision that surprised many in the hockey world. However, Boudreau has the backing of his general manager on that decision.
In an interview with John Feinstein of the Washington Post, George McPhee said Boudreau made the right decision on Semin, as well as with benching Alex Ovechkin and Tomas Vokoun earlier in the season.
"Bruce did the right thing with Ovie in the Anaheim game," he continued quietly. "He did the right thing when he didn’t start [Tomas] Vokoun in the opener. He did the right thing tonight sitting Semin."
Semin was benched due to lagging offensive performance and a penchant for taking penalties. SB Nation's Capitals blog Japers' Rink took a look at all of Semin's 14 minor penalties this season and determined that most of those penalties were deserved.
For more on Semin and the Capitals, visit Japers' Rink.