GAME DAY:Ottawa Senators @ New Jersey Devils - 7:00pm ET - Tue. Mar. 8, 2011

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When they sent Greening down to Bingo on....Saturday or whenever, instead of moping, he got on the ice and was one of the best players according to B-Sens' fans. He also scored a very important goal (perhaps the GWG, can't recall). This kid is for real, he and Butler are really making sure everyone notices them and makes room for them next year. It's awesome!

I don't get how Little Bobby B and Greening are finding success in the NHL riding shotgun with the Tin Man. Very puzzling indeed.

All I know is it has nothing to do with a better record since Spezza's return, nothing to do with Spezza getting the focus of the top D pairings and top forwards, nor does it indicate that Spezza is making anyone better.

NEELY wrote:
O'Brien did next to nothig in Ottawa, can't stand him as a hockey player despite his vast improvments. He will be lucky to crack any teams 4th line and stay there through his career.

Yeah, he didn't really do much. Hopefully he can continue to improve and make the club in 2012/13 as a 4th line C.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When they sent Greening down to Bingo on....Saturday or whenever, instead of moping, he got on the ice and was one of the best players according to B-Sens' fans. He also scored a very important goal (perhaps the GWG, can't recall). This kid is for real, he and Butler are really making sure everyone notices them and makes room for them next year. It's awesome!

I don't get how Little Bobby B and Greening are finding success in the NHL riding shotgun with the Tin Man. Very puzzling indeed.

All I know is it has nothing to do with a better record since Spezza's return, nothing to do with Spezza getting the focus of the top D pairings and top forwards, nor does it indicate that Spezza is making anyone better.

It would be ludicrous to think otherwise.

Hoags wrote:
I don't know anything about the player but he put up 15g on a Dung Edmonton team last year, I take it there's no potential in him ?

Definitely has the potential to score goals. 15 on Edmonton is anything by poor - in something like 60 games too.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When they sent Greening down to Bingo on....Saturday or whenever, instead of moping, he got on the ice and was one of the best players according to B-Sens' fans. He also scored a very important goal (perhaps the GWG, can't recall). This kid is for real, he and Butler are really making sure everyone notices them and makes room for them next year. It's awesome!

I don't get how Little Bobby B and Greening are finding success in the NHL riding shotgun with the Tin Man. Very puzzling indeed.

All I know is it has nothing to do with a better record since Spezza's return, nothing to do with Spezza getting the focus of the top D pairings and top forwards, nor does it indicate that Spezza is making anyone better.

It would be ludicrous to think otherwise.

Lets just call a spade a spade. Spezza may be a career PPG guy who has a PPG last playoffs but he hasn't been a PPG for three seasons and last season was a mere .95 PPG. Can we just call him the .95 PPG guy?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When they sent Greening down to Bingo on....Saturday or whenever, instead of moping, he got on the ice and was one of the best players according to B-Sens' fans. He also scored a very important goal (perhaps the GWG, can't recall). This kid is for real, he and Butler are really making sure everyone notices them and makes room for them next year. It's awesome!

I don't get how Little Bobby B and Greening are finding success in the NHL riding shotgun with the Tin Man. Very puzzling indeed.

All I know is it has nothing to do with a better record since Spezza's return, nothing to do with Spezza getting the focus of the top D pairings and top forwards, nor does it indicate that Spezza is making anyone better.

It would be ludicrous to think otherwise.

Lets just call a spade a spade. Spezza may be a career PPG guy who has a PPG last playoffs but he hasn't been a PPG for three seasons and last season was a mere .95 PPG. Can we just call him the .95 PPG guy?

You really want to open this up again? LOL

When Spezza plays well, makes the people around him better, & stays healthy, all when something is on the line & for a protracted period of time, I will give him his due. Until then, he's not the miracle you want him to be.

I have largely liked Spezza's game lately (a bit too much floating up at the opposition blueline, waiting for the puck at time, but whatever). But I'm not going to give him a free pass until he does what he needs to do over a long period of time. We've seen these flashes before. What he needs is staying power, especially when it's for all the chips. We're going to find out soon enough if he has it.

rooneypoo wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When they sent Greening down to Bingo on....Saturday or whenever, instead of moping, he got on the ice and was one of the best players according to B-Sens' fans. He also scored a very important goal (perhaps the GWG, can't recall). This kid is for real, he and Butler are really making sure everyone notices them and makes room for them next year. It's awesome!

I don't get how Little Bobby B and Greening are finding success in the NHL riding shotgun with the Tin Man. Very puzzling indeed.

All I know is it has nothing to do with a better record since Spezza's return, nothing to do with Spezza getting the focus of the top D pairings and top forwards, nor does it indicate that Spezza is making anyone better.

It would be ludicrous to think otherwise.

Lets just call a spade a spade. Spezza may be a career PPG guy who has a PPG last playoffs but he hasn't been a PPG for three seasons and last season was a mere .95 PPG. Can we just call him the .95 PPG guy?

You really want to open this up again? LOL

When Spezza plays well, makes the people around him better, & stays healthy, all when something is on the line & for a protracted period of time, I will give him his due. Until then, he's not the miracle you want him to be.

I have largely liked Spezza's game lately (a bit too much floating up at the opposition blueline, waiting for the puck at time, but whatever). But I'm not going to give him a free pass until he does what he needs to do over a long period of time. We've seen these flashes before. What he needs is staying power, especially when it's for all the chips. We're going to find out soon enough if he has it.

The Tin Man will henceforth be known as the Mississauga Miracle thanks to Dr. Poo!

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When they sent Greening down to Bingo on....Saturday or whenever, instead of moping, he got on the ice and was one of the best players according to B-Sens' fans. He also scored a very important goal (perhaps the GWG, can't recall). This kid is for real, he and Butler are really making sure everyone notices them and makes room for them next year. It's awesome!

I don't get how Little Bobby B and Greening are finding success in the NHL riding shotgun with the Tin Man. Very puzzling indeed.

All I know is it has nothing to do with a better record since Spezza's return, nothing to do with Spezza getting the focus of the top D pairings and top forwards, nor does it indicate that Spezza is making anyone better.

Spezza's been great with those two on his line, he's also making them better. That said, his point totals are going to take a dip (as in not a PPG) because of this. You and SSF are talking like it matters if he puts up insane numbers, it doesn't, what matters are results.

I've loved Spezza's game the last month, I think he's taken to the new leadership role very well and the team is benefitting from his play. Doesn't mean he is going to a PPG guy though because fact of the matter is a lot of the best players in the league are not PPG guys, but I would still take them over guys who put up the points and don't do much else. Spezza's is trending towards a guy you have out there for key face offs, on the ice for the last min of a game no matter the situation, and is starting to play a more heady game, learning when and when not to take a risk to make a play.

There was one play against Atl or NYR, can't remember which, where I was sure Spezza was going to go and take on 3 defenders and try and make a play, he simply chipped it off the boards and went off for a line change, that was more impressive to me than him actually trying to make the play, because it was the right one. Nothing to be gained other than a smooth line change, perfect.

I'll give him his due when he's a career PPG player with career PPG in the playoffs and has reached a Cup Final in his career tied for the league lead in playoff points in a season and continues to improve his all around play and will end this season with at least PPG pace since being lined up next to rookies who are also playing well with him in the lineup.

I'm simply calling a spade a spade and producing facts and not filling my posts with caveats when admitting he is doing what you want him to do.

Like Rooney said, the other thing he has to do besides stay healthy is be consistant when healthy. That's a major concer.

Personally, I think he's turned a bit of a corner in terms of his role on the team, he's making the other teams think instead of react, he's also working smart as opposed to hard, hopefully he keeps it up.

I think Spezza has matured impressively as a player under Clouston, that's about the one thing I think CC can take credit for.

NEELY wrote:Spezza's been great with those two on his line, he's also making them better. That said, his point totals are going to take a dip (as in not a PPG) because of this. You and SSF are talking like it matters if he puts up insane numbers, it doesn't, what matters are results.

I've loved Spezza's game the last month, I think he's taken to the new leadership role very well and the team is benefitting from his play. Doesn't mean he is going to a PPG guy though because fact of the matter is a lot of the best players in the league are not PPG guys, but I would still take them over guys who put up the points and don't do much else. Spezza's is trending towards a guy you have out there for key face offs, on the ice for the last min of a game no matter the situation, and is starting to play a more heady game, learning when and when not to take a risk to make a play.

There was one play against Atl or NYR, can't remember which, where I was sure Spezza was going to go and take on 3 defenders and try and make a play, he simply chipped it off the boards and went off for a line change, that was more impressive to me than him actually trying to make the play, because it was the right one. Nothing to be gained other than a smooth line change, perfect.

Glad someone is ready to acknowledge that the Mississauga Miracle is improving his game while continuing to make those around him better.

NEELY wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When they sent Greening down to Bingo on....Saturday or whenever, instead of moping, he got on the ice and was one of the best players according to B-Sens' fans. He also scored a very important goal (perhaps the GWG, can't recall). This kid is for real, he and Butler are really making sure everyone notices them and makes room for them next year. It's awesome!

I don't get how Little Bobby B and Greening are finding success in the NHL riding shotgun with the Tin Man. Very puzzling indeed.

All I know is it has nothing to do with a better record since Spezza's return, nothing to do with Spezza getting the focus of the top D pairings and top forwards, nor does it indicate that Spezza is making anyone better.

Spezza's been great with those two on his line, he's also making them better. That said, his point totals are going to take a dip (as in not a PPG) because of this. You and SSF are talking like it matters if he puts up insane numbers, it doesn't, what matters are results.

I've loved Spezza's game the last month, I think he's taken to the new leadership role very well and the team is benefitting from his play. Doesn't mean he is going to a PPG guy though because fact of the matter is a lot of the best players in the league are not PPG guys, but I would still take them over guys who put up the points and don't do much else. Spezza's is trending towards a guy you have out there for key face offs, on the ice for the last min of a game no matter the situation, and is starting to play a more heady game, learning when and when not to take a risk to make a play.

There was one play against Atl or NYR, can't remember which, where I was sure Spezza was going to go and take on 3 defenders and try and make a play, he simply chipped it off the boards and went off for a line change, that was more impressive to me than him actually trying to make the play, because it was the right one. Nothing to be gained other than a smooth line change, perfect.

I'm not suggesting he'll be a 35 goal, 100 point plus player but a PPG is not out of the realm of possibility despite being lined up with these fresh faced rookies either. He's actually been on a PPG pace since returning from injury and being on lines with these players. It's also reasonable to assume that he can at least maintain those totals as his line-mates improve. I agree with most of what you say here Neely.

Hoags wrote:I think Spezza has matured impressively as a player under Clouston, that's about the one thing I think CC can take credit for.

For the same reason I think you could say that Double-M can take credit for being more open to coaching than some of the inflated egos that have been on this roster in the past.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:Spezza's been great with those two on his line, he's also making them better. That said, his point totals are going to take a dip (as in not a PPG) because of this. You and SSF are talking like it matters if he puts up insane numbers, it doesn't, what matters are results.

I've loved Spezza's game the last month, I think he's taken to the new leadership role very well and the team is benefitting from his play. Doesn't mean he is going to a PPG guy though because fact of the matter is a lot of the best players in the league are not PPG guys, but I would still take them over guys who put up the points and don't do much else. Spezza's is trending towards a guy you have out there for key face offs, on the ice for the last min of a game no matter the situation, and is starting to play a more heady game, learning when and when not to take a risk to make a play.

There was one play against Atl or NYR, can't remember which, where I was sure Spezza was going to go and take on 3 defenders and try and make a play, he simply chipped it off the boards and went off for a line change, that was more impressive to me than him actually trying to make the play, because it was the right one. Nothing to be gained other than a smooth line change, perfect.

Glad someone is ready to acknowledge that the Mississauga Miracle is improving his game while starting to make those around him better.

Easy, he's starting to see how to do it. BEfore he wasn't, he was expecting people to be Heatley and Alfi, expecting them to have the offensive instincts those two do/did. Now he is starting to look at his options when entering the zone and simplfying his game, he didn't start doing that until the begining of this year.

Credit where credit is due but lets not pretend this is a trait that has always been there that people are just starting to see now. He getting better and is starting to shut people like myself up unless it's to say "wow, Spezza's played solid tonight" on a regular basis, as opposed to "Spezza was awesome tonight" every 2 games and then "Spezza is a Cussing idiot" for the next 2.

I think all we're saying is that Spezza's career was far from over when some had him written off as selfish and likely never to change.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

NEELY wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When they sent Greening down to Bingo on....Saturday or whenever, instead of moping, he got on the ice and was one of the best players according to B-Sens' fans. He also scored a very important goal (perhaps the GWG, can't recall). This kid is for real, he and Butler are really making sure everyone notices them and makes room for them next year. It's awesome!

I don't get how Little Bobby B and Greening are finding success in the NHL riding shotgun with the Tin Man. Very puzzling indeed.

All I know is it has nothing to do with a better record since Spezza's return, nothing to do with Spezza getting the focus of the top D pairings and top forwards, nor does it indicate that Spezza is making anyone better.

Spezza's been great with those two on his line, he's also making them better. That said, his point totals are going to take a dip (as in not a PPG) because of this. You and SSF are talking like it matters if he puts up insane numbers, it doesn't, what matters are results.

I've loved Spezza's game the last month, I think he's taken to the new leadership role very well and the team is benefitting from his play. Doesn't mean he is going to a PPG guy though because fact of the matter is a lot of the best players in the league are not PPG guys, but I would still take them over guys who put up the points and don't do much else. Spezza's is trending towards a guy you have out there for key face offs, on the ice for the last min of a game no matter the situation, and is starting to play a more heady game, learning when and when not to take a risk to make a play.

There was one play against Atl or NYR, can't remember which, where I was sure Spezza was going to go and take on 3 defenders and try and make a play, he simply chipped it off the boards and went off for a line change, that was more impressive to me than him actually trying to make the play, because it was the right one. Nothing to be gained other than a smooth line change, perfect.

I'm not suggesting he'll be a 35 goal, 100 point plus player but a PPG is not out of the realm of possibility despite being lined up with these fresh faced rookies either. He's actually been on a PPG pace since returning from injury and being on lines with these players. It's also reasonable to assume that he can at least maintain those totals as his line-mates improve. I agree with most of what you say here Neely.

You look at games like Boston last Monday and he was pretty bad, probably forcing a little too much and trying to make something happen, but he isn't going to be getting a PPG against teams like NJ, Bos, and the better ones like Phi and Pitt. He will probably have a season where he hits the PPG mark, but it won't end up being a career thing, he will not finish his career as a PPG player. Probably close to it but his stats will look very similar to Alfi's I would imagine.

Either way, playing the way he is now, the team will win more games than it loses, you just hope he keeps it up and this is a mature player, not one that is just doing what he is being asked to do. There is a difference. I'm leaning towards mature because of the decision making on the ice right now.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I think all we're saying is that Spezza's career was far from over when some had him written off as selfish and likely never to change.

I think this is BS. His career was at a cross road, be the scoring guru that fantasy people love or become a team leader, true number 1 center, and a guy that can be counted on in most, if not all situations.