[...] Semin’s critics aren’t just found in North America. Matsegora noted in his AllHockey.ru piece that "Overseas, they rightly believe that he is too weak-willed a player who often loses the motivation to play. And he loses it at the most inopportune moments." Matsegora added that former Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau regularly tried to motivate Semin, only to have the winger "shrink from criticism on the bench, so (Boudreau) had to leave without having achieved from Semin at least some noticeable fire in his eyes." Boudreau often spoke of Semin’s potential, believing the young winger had more promise than even Alex Ovechkin.