GAME 4 - 2010 Stanley Cup GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators (1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2), Tuesday Apr. 20, 2010 - 7:00PM EST.

N4L wrote:Spezza hasnt competed at all or even close to what he has to. How hard Crosby compete's is how hard Spezza should be. Im not saying he has to be as good or as effective as Crosby, but he doesnt have a snow balls chance in hell of doing anything worthy of anyone praise until he does. Hell, even Malkin compete harder.

I call complete Dung on that.

Crosby is at another level. We might not want to give him credit, because as Sens fans we seem to want to blame our team rather than give credit where it is deserved. Pittsburgh is a better more experienced team. Crosby is by far the best player in the NHL, don't give me any Datsyuk crap either. Crosby's will to win is ridiculous, he's got Messier's fire with a ton more talent. I have grown to hate him this year, but at the same time I can appreciate what he does.

N4L wrote:Meh, Foligno is ok, ok being a border line top 6 guys who will chip in here or there. He isnt anythign special but not like he shouldnt be in lineup either.

you think he's gonna get a raise? you think he'l play top 6? i think some of our upcoming prospects hold a better chance at that(hoffman, petersson to name a few)

I still think Spezza can be a leader (he has shown it this year, most of the year, and he's respected by his peers), and I think that next season he will have about a 90 point season. Will that translate into playoff success, who knows? But I'm not righting him off right now because I didn't expect him or the Sens in general to have a ton of success against Pittsburgh in the first round.

As for Regin, I think he will be a great player. I think his upside will be a PPG centre with some solid leadership abilities. He reminds me of Nik Backstrom a bit (not that good yet though, obviously.

I think Foligno will probably end up being traded. He's kinda like a Patrick Eaves version 2.0.

I just hope guys like Petersson and Butler and Silfverberg get a chance soon, I want to see a youth revoultion here in Ottawa.

Flo The Action wrote:it will never get to waiving him. the NTC is just there so players have some guarantee they will have a say on where they play and some sort of belief that the team is serious about them staying where they are.
i haven't given up on spezza but he's walking a thin line. i did like his second half of the season. just show you can do it all the time... unlike now.

That's all we want right now. We need Spezza to be dangerous to the Pens' D, we need him to pump home some goals and compete like it meant something. Alfie clearly can't do it right now, hopefully that changes, but without Spezza doing something more than he's doing, we're in deep trouble.

Big Ev wrote:I still think Spezza can be a leader (he has shown it this year, most of the year, and he's respected by his peers), and I think that next season he will have about a 90 point season. Will that translate into playoff success, who knows? But I'm not righting him off right now because I didn't expect him or the Sens in general to have a ton of success against Pittsburgh in the first round.

As for Regin, I think he will be a great player. I think his upside will be a PPG centre with some solid leadership abilities. He reminds me of Nik Backstrom a bit (not that good yet though, obviously.

I think Foligno will probably end up being traded. He's kinda like a Patrick Eaves version 2.0.

I just hope guys like Petersson and Butler and Silfverberg get a chance soon, I want to see a youth revoultion here in Ottawa.

Spezza has never showed he can be a true leader. Sure he had a good 2 months and played well, at no point when they were in a slump did that guy ever pick them up and carry them. Spezza isnt a leader, never will be, and anyone who thinks he is anything resmebling a leader or someone a team can look to needs a serious reality check.

As for your 2nd comment, probably your smartest comment to date. That's a perfect comparisson.

RobbyJ wrote:

N4L wrote:Spezza hasnt competed at all or even close to what he has to. How hard Crosby compete's is how hard Spezza should be. Im not saying he has to be as good or as effective as Crosby, but he doesnt have a snow balls chance in hell of doing anything worthy of anyone praise until he does. Hell, even Malkin compete harder.

I call complete Dung on that.

Crosby is at another level. We might not want to give him credit, because as Sens fans we seem to want to blame our team rather than give credit where it is deserved. Pittsburgh is a better more experienced team. Crosby is by far the best player in the NHL, don't give me any Datsyuk crap either. Crosby's will to win is ridiculous, he's got Messier's fire with a ton more talent. I have grown to hate him this year, but at the same time I can appreciate what he does.

well said. i don't like him or his NHL posterboy image, but the kid wants to win. i preffer ovechkin but theres no doubt crosby is one of the leagues top dogs.

RobbyJ wrote:

N4L wrote:Spezza hasnt competed at all or even close to what he has to. How hard Crosby compete's is how hard Spezza should be. Im not saying he has to be as good or as effective as Crosby, but he doesnt have a snow balls chance in hell of doing anything worthy of anyone praise until he does. Hell, even Malkin compete harder.

I call complete Dung on that.

Crosby is at another level. We might not want to give him credit, because as Sens fans we seem to want to blame our team rather than give credit where it is deserved. Pittsburgh is a better more experienced team. Crosby is by far the best player in the NHL, don't give me any Datsyuk crap either. Crosby's will to win is ridiculous, he's got Messier's fire with a ton more talent. I have grown to hate him this year, but at the same time I can appreciate what he does.

Dude, Spezza is competing at the same level as Malkin. Im not saying Crosby isnt the best player on the planet right now but Spezza still isnt at the same level as Malkin right now. If you wanna say Malkin isnt competing, go ahead, I agree somewhat, but Spezza isnt either, it's worse then Malkin.

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:Spezza leading the youth? If there is anything I dont want in Ottawa, it's that!

No, leading the offense. Leading the youth will be the youth. Regin, Karlsson, hopefully Cowen, Wiercioch, Fisher, Phillips. Spezza won't lead the youth unless he conforms to Clouston's style once and for all.

Losing is losing, you build a team with strong leadership, not great tallent who I wouldnt let baby sit my kids.

[quote="N4L"]

Big Ev wrote:I still think Spezza can be a leader (he has shown it this year, most of the year, and he's respected by his peers), and I think that next season he will have about a 90 point season. Will that translate into playoff success, who knows? But I'm not righting him off right now because I didn't expect him or the Sens in general to have a ton of success against Pittsburgh in the first round.

As for Regin, I think he will be a great player. I think his upside will be a PPG centre with some solid leadership abilities. He reminds me of Nik Backstrom a bit (not that good yet though, obviously.

I think Foligno will probably end up being traded. He's kinda like a Patrick Eaves version 2.0.

I just hope guys like Petersson and Butler and Silfverberg get a chance soon, I want to see a youth revoultion here in Ottawa.

Spezza has never showed he can be a true leader. Sure he had a good 2 months and played well, at no point when they were in a slump did that guy ever pick them up and carry them. Spezza isnt a leader, never will be, and anyone who thinks he is anything resmebling a leader or someone a team can look to needs a serious reality check.

As for your 2nd comment, probably your smartest comment to date. That's a perfect comparisson.[/quote]

when he's skating or on his Donkey?

Biggest games of the following people's careers tomorrow:

Elliott
Sutton
Carkner
Campoli
Foligno
Cheechoo (if he plays)

BIG games toward deciding futures:
Sutton
Spezza
Volchenkov
Cheechoo (if he plays)

N4L wrote:

RobbyJ wrote:

N4L wrote:Spezza hasnt competed at all or even close to what he has to. How hard Crosby compete's is how hard Spezza should be. Im not saying he has to be as good or as effective as Crosby, but he doesnt have a snow balls chance in hell of doing anything worthy of anyone praise until he does. Hell, even Malkin compete harder.

I call complete Dung on that.

Crosby is at another level. We might not want to give him credit, because as Sens fans we seem to want to blame our team rather than give credit where it is deserved. Pittsburgh is a better more experienced team. Crosby is by far the best player in the NHL, don't give me any Datsyuk crap either. Crosby's will to win is ridiculous, he's got Messier's fire with a ton more talent. I have grown to hate him this year, but at the same time I can appreciate what he does.

Dude, Spezza is competing at the same level as Malkin. Im not saying Crosby isnt the best player on the planet right now but Spezza still isnt at the same level as Malkin right now. If you wanna say Malkin isnt competing, go ahead, I agree somewhat, but Spezza isnt either, it's worse then Malkin.

We'll agree to disagree on that. I think Spezza's compete level is good, but this being Ottawa we always need a scapegoat rather than accepting that Pittsburgh is the better team.

I think if the Sens are going to win this they'll need to expose Fleury like they did in game 1, Elliott will need to flat out rob Crosby and Malkin on a few occasions and Spezza will need a goal. Just my opinion.

The Pitts team is better, but you shoudl be able to notice (positivly) your "best player" and your highest paid player. Spezza isnt the scap goat here but he is the guy this team is going forward with and if what we are seeing is the best you can get out of him, start over because that isnt close to good enough, Pitts being the better team or not.

N4L wrote:The Pitts team is better, but you shoudl be able to notice (positivly) your "best player" and your highest paid player. Spezza isnt the scap goat here but he is the guy this team is going forward with and if what we are seeing is the best you can get out of him, start over because that isnt close to good enough, Pitts being the better team or not.

agreed.
players we need more from: spezza, alfie, volchie, sutton, fisher, cullen, foligno and cheechoo if he's in.

N4L wrote:The Pitts team is better, but you shoudl be able to notice (positivly) your "best player" and your highest paid player. Spezza isnt the scap goat here but he is the guy this team is going forward with and if what we are seeing is the best you can get out of him, start over because that isnt close to good enough, Pitts being the better team or not.

I do think Spezza cares and maybe too much. For years Alfie tried to do too much and tried to be the one man show but in the end it ended up hurting the team more then helping. Spezza is doing the same thing Alfie did earlier in his career but it's backfiring on him. That's how I see it anyway.

For what it's worth. I think Fisher and Cullen have actually been much much worse then Spezza has. I know they aren't supposed to be the go to guys but they have generated nothing in this series 5 on 5. Absolutely nothing.

Flo The Action wrote:

N4L wrote:The Pitts team is better, but you shoudl be able to notice (positivly) your "best player" and your highest paid player. Spezza isnt the scap goat here but he is the guy this team is going forward with and if what we are seeing is the best you can get out of him, start over because that isnt close to good enough, Pitts being the better team or not.

agreed.
players we need more from: spezza, alfie, volchie, sutton, fisher, cullen, foligno and cheechoo if he's in.

How bout the plug in your avatar?

Urkie wrote:
For what it's worth. I think Fisher and Cullen have actually been much much worse then Spezza has. I know they aren't supposed to be the go to guys but they have generated nothing in this series 5 on 5. Absolutely nothing.

Losing Michalek and Kovalev means there is far more focus and expectations on Fisher and Cullen than there should be.

Regin has stepped up but we're also counting on Foligno (who's been disappointing most of the year). Spezza and Alfie haven't scored. Kelly's line pretty much won Game 1 and our 4th line has done nothing as well.

None of our forwards have been consistent finishers all year. It's all been done by committee and it's been hit or miss as to which forward would contribute on any given day.

Hoags wrote:

Urkie wrote:
For what it's worth. I think Fisher and Cullen have actually been much much worse then Spezza has. I know they aren't supposed to be the go to guys but they have generated nothing in this series 5 on 5. Absolutely nothing.

Losing Michalek and Kovalev means there is far more focus and expectations on Fisher and Cullen than there should be.

Regin has stepped up but we're also counting on Foligno (who's been disappointing most of the year). Spezza and Alfie haven't scored. Kelly's line pretty much won Game 1 and our 4th line has done nothing as well.

None of our forwards have been consistent finishers all year. It's all been done by committee and it's been hit or miss as to which forward would contribute on any given day.

Not really, neither has really been elevated out of their expected roles. Fisher is still the 2nd line Center and he's still wearing the A. Cullen is also in a role that suits him, outside of having to play the wing.

The 4th line is pretty much there to give the other lines a rest and not get scored on while their out there. They are, at least, doing their job.