GAME DAY: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators - 7:00pm ET - SAT. Apr. 2, 2011

Spezza is playing fantastic hockey and like I have always said, if he does the small things right the points will come and they are.

Going forward I think Spezza is going to be able to keep up this kind of effort and this kind of game. Why? Because the type of game he is playing now translates into games where it's 1-0 or 7-6, he will either be on the ice taking a defensive zone faceoff with 20 seconds left or will be out trying to tie the game up. What Spezza has turned himself into is a complete hockey player.

The only thing that could really derail him are injuries, which is a pretty good possibility as he always seems to get dinged up.

Spezza keeps playing the way he has along with the team being able to put some wins together and become a playoff team, Spezza will be a Hart trophy candidate. Not because of the points he puts up either, that's just part of the compete game that a player needs to be considered in that class.

Well said NEELY. I think if he's ever considered a Hart trophy candidate then he'll have exceeded my expectations and I'll be a happy Sens Fan for sure.

Spezza being The MVP of The Sens would be just fine with a lot of people. This is the first year where Spezza is truly considered the teams best player and pretty much their MVP. He does have to do it when the games matter though, that's a pretty big issue right now with not just his play, but everyones. Easy to play hockey when there is no pressure.

Spezza is also in a different position now as well which should help him goign forward. Other players are depending on him to be the guy and it was never like that before. Ottawa was always good enough to get by without him, that has changed.

well it's a nice change from what we were getting from him a few years ago. i think maturity had something to do with it.

NEELY wrote:Spezza being The MVP of The Sens would be just fine with a lot of people. This is the first year where Spezza is truly considered the teams best player and pretty much their MVP. He does have to do it when the games matter though, that's a pretty big issue right now with not just his play, but everyones. Easy to play hockey when there is no pressure.

Spezza is also in a different position now as well which should help him goign forward. Other players are depending on him to be the guy and it was never like that before. Ottawa was always good enough to get by without him, that has changed.

?

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:Spezza being The MVP of The Sens would be just fine with a lot of people. This is the first year where Spezza is truly considered the teams best player and pretty much their MVP. He does have to do it when the games matter though, that's a pretty big issue right now with not just his play, but everyones. Easy to play hockey when there is no pressure.

Spezza is also in a different position now as well which should help him goign forward. Other players are depending on him to be the guy and it was never like that before. Ottawa was always good enough to get by without him, that has changed.

?

Needs a lot to happen for him to be considered for The Olympic team. There are a lot of guys ahead of him right now, a ton. Geztlaf, Toews, Crosby are running away with it, Spezza isn't close to being on that team at this point.

sandysensfan wrote:But us Sens fans HAVE TO TAKE BACK OUR ARENA. It's awful sitting there listening to those bastards especially when they are winning.
Next season.. buy the tickets.. don't let the Leaf fans get them... take back SBP.

We will take back our arena. Ticket sales right now are in the toilet. Next year, if we have a good start, they'll pick up and you'll see more red jerseys in the stands and less blue & white. If the Leaf fans want to financially support our team, let 'em. I have a feeling you'll see things turn around for our organization as a whole next year.

tim1_2 wrote:

sandysensfan wrote:But us Sens fans HAVE TO TAKE BACK OUR ARENA. It's awful sitting there listening to those bastards especially when they are winning.
Next season.. buy the tickets.. don't let the Leaf fans get them... take back SBP.

We will take back our arena. Ticket sales right now are in the toilet. Next year, if we have a good start, they'll pick up and you'll see more red jerseys in the stands and less blue & white. If the Leaf fans want to financially support our team, let 'em. I have a feeling you'll see things turn around for our organization as a whole next year.

Not to be nitpicky, but about 35-40% of the fans who support Ottawa are primarily leafs/habs fans who secondarily root for Ottawa. When their team comes, they'll cheer for their primary team. So unfortunately, we will be dealing with partisan crowds all the time when leafs and habs roll into SBP...at least for the next 10 years.

EDIT: so alot of the fans at the game rooting for ottawa tonight are actually leafs/habs fans first.

NEELY wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:Spezza being The MVP of The Sens would be just fine with a lot of people. This is the first year where Spezza is truly considered the teams best player and pretty much their MVP. He does have to do it when the games matter though, that's a pretty big issue right now with not just his play, but everyones. Easy to play hockey when there is no pressure.

Spezza is also in a different position now as well which should help him goign forward. Other players are depending on him to be the guy and it was never like that before. Ottawa was always good enough to get by without him, that has changed.

?

Needs a lot to happen for him to be considered for The Olympic team. There are a lot of guys ahead of him right now, a ton. Geztlaf, Toews, Crosby are running away with it, Spezza isn't close to being on that team at this point.

People laughed at me when I said (a couple of years ago) that I thought Spezza would be the next Captain.

NEELY wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:Spezza being The MVP of The Sens would be just fine with a lot of people. This is the first year where Spezza is truly considered the teams best player and pretty much their MVP. He does have to do it when the games matter though, that's a pretty big issue right now with not just his play, but everyones. Easy to play hockey when there is no pressure.

Spezza is also in a different position now as well which should help him goign forward. Other players are depending on him to be the guy and it was never like that before. Ottawa was always good enough to get by without him, that has changed.

?

Needs a lot to happen for him to be considered for The Olympic team. There are a lot of guys ahead of him right now, a ton. Geztlaf, Toews, Crosby are running away with it, Spezza isn't close to being on that team at this point.

Spezza can be better than Getzlaf. I agree it's an uphill battle though with both Crosby and Toews clearly ahead and a bunch of guys (Getzlaf, Richards (x2), Stamkos, Staal, ect in the same range as far as making the Olympic team).

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:Spezza being The MVP of The Sens would be just fine with a lot of people. This is the first year where Spezza is truly considered the teams best player and pretty much their MVP. He does have to do it when the games matter though, that's a pretty big issue right now with not just his play, but everyones. Easy to play hockey when there is no pressure.

Spezza is also in a different position now as well which should help him goign forward. Other players are depending on him to be the guy and it was never like that before. Ottawa was always good enough to get by without him, that has changed.

?

Needs a lot to happen for him to be considered for The Olympic team. There are a lot of guys ahead of him right now, a ton. Geztlaf, Toews, Crosby are running away with it, Spezza isn't close to being on that team at this point.

People laughed at me when I said (a couple of years ago) that I thought Spezza would be the next Captain.

That's because it was a laughable suggestion at the time.

stempniaksen wrote:

NEELY wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:Spezza being The MVP of The Sens would be just fine with a lot of people. This is the first year where Spezza is truly considered the teams best player and pretty much their MVP. He does have to do it when the games matter though, that's a pretty big issue right now with not just his play, but everyones. Easy to play hockey when there is no pressure.

Spezza is also in a different position now as well which should help him goign forward. Other players are depending on him to be the guy and it was never like that before. Ottawa was always good enough to get by without him, that has changed.

?

Needs a lot to happen for him to be considered for The Olympic team. There are a lot of guys ahead of him right now, a ton. Geztlaf, Toews, Crosby are running away with it, Spezza isn't close to being on that team at this point.

Spezza can be better than Getzlaf. I agree it's an uphill battle though with both Crosby and Toews clearly ahead and a bunch of guys (Getzlaf, Richards (x2), Stamkos, Staal, ect in the same range as far as making the Olympic team).

He very well could but he has to do what he's doing for more than 1/2 a year each time. It will take 2 or 3 seasons of terrific play because they will go with a proven winner before they take a chance on Spezza.