Petes coach hoping to recharge SDA
Talented Russian-born centre has a disappointing -17 rating and is only fifth in team scoring so far this season
If the Peterborough Petes are to be successful this year Semyon Der-Arguchintsev has to be a big part of it.
The 18-year-old centre’s defensive play was such a liability he was benched twice in the past three games by head coach Rob Wilson. He was a -5 in two periods in Saturday’s 7-3 loss to the Sarnia Sting and never saw the ice in the third period. His -17 rating this season is the worst on the team. Only five players in the OHL have worse ratings with four on the lastplace Flint Firebirds.
Der-Arguchintsev came into the season as the Petes’ highest returning scorer after putting up 51 points in 68 games last season. It came with a -19 rating.
So far this season, Der-Arguchintsev’s offence is also below expectations ranking fifth on the Petes with one goal and 12 assists for 13 points in 21 games.
There is no disputing the Russian native’s talent and vision. His energy and creativity made him a fan favourite. What is puzzling about his start to this season is he came off an impressive training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs. They liked their third-round draft pick enough to sign him to an NHL entry level contract.
He came back to Peterborough with big expectations that he’s, so far, failed to reach. This is not the first time he’s been benched. He suffered a similar fate during a game in Ottawa last season.
“We’ll work together and figure out what the problem is,” Wilson said.
“Yeah, -5 is tough to swallow. I’m sure he doesn’t feel good about it either. I’m not going to kick him when he’s down. We have to work together to find answers to get his game going and to do the right things and make sure we’re all accountable.
“Sometimes -5 is just a reflection on the one individual. You can have some unfortunate luck when you’re on the ice but he’s got to get himself out of this.”
The benching, though, speaks volumes. “I’m not afraid to send a message,” Wilson said. “I won’t tolerate it.”
When asked what he thoughts of what unfolded on Saturday, Der-Arguchintsev said, “I think it just happens sometimes when the game is not going your way, especially with the minuses. I’m not upset about it. I just have to learn from my mistakes that I did on the ice.
“The message I’m getting is that defence is important. It’s the coaches’ decision and I’m OK with every decision that they make. Obviously, it’s not what I want. You always want to be on the ice.”
When Der-Arguchintsev returned from NHL camp he said his biggest focus was to improve his defensive game.
“I think my defensive game is improving but obviously I have a lot of work to do. All those minuses I have I think is bad luck sometimes and sometimes I have to work a little bit harder defensively,” he said.
As for his offensive production, he says he’s not concerned.
“The points are going to come. I’m not worried about that,” he said.
Wilson thought Der-Arguchintsev was starting to roll when paired with Nick Robertson. Robertson is back on the sidelines after aggravating a wrist injury.
“I’m not making excuses for Semyon but he hasn’t had a consistent linemate,” Wilson said.
“He has to take some accountability of his own game but there is a chemistry thing where you start to get used to where guys are and you have to find chemistry with new guys. That can be a factor.”
Wilson said the team’s recent struggles go beyond one player.
“Overall, from a team point of view and for Semyon our details weren’t good enough. We’ve dipped because we’ve got away from details and accountability. This is way too good of a league with too much parity. If you go into a game and don’t play with accountability, whether it’s Semyon or the team, you’re not going to get away with it in this league.”
The Petes host the Kingston Frontenacs at 7:05 p.m. Thursday at the PMC. They visit the Erie Otters on Saturday night and the Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon.