Senators Articles: Spezza hasn't adapted well to AHL return
October 27, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Scott Lauber of Press Connects.com

Spezza hasn't adapted well to AHL return

Center has 1 goal in 5 games

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- When Jason Spezza agreed to skate in the minors during the NHL lockout, the Ottawa Senators expected him to be the best player on the ice.

Through the season's first five games, he's been far from it.

"I think it's been average, at best," Spezza said when asked to evaluate his performance after Binghamton's 3-2 loss Sunday night in Bridgeport, Conn. "I'm going to look at these five games and evaluate some things. The good news is we've got 75 more of these to go, and I'll pick up my game just like everyone else."

After bowing to Bridgeport, the Senators are an unimpressive 3-2-0-0 and still haven't strung together three consistent periods. Spezza, the talented 21-year-old who likely will be Ottawa's No. 1 center when the NHL returns, has been the face of the club's early-season mediocrity.

He has only one goal -- the redirection of Anton Volchenkov's shot 32 seconds into overtime last Saturday night against Hamilton -- to go with two assists and a minus-2 rating, numbers hardly befitting a player who dominated the AHL as a 19-year-old rookie two seasons ago.

Senators general manager John Muckler, reached Tuesday in Ottawa, said he's not worried about Spezza. Nor is he concerned about fellow locked-out NHLers Antoine Vermette, Josh Langfeld, Brian Pothier and Volchenkov, all of whom have struggled to be consistent.

"All of those players are having a little difficult time," Muckler said. "After you play in the National Hockey League for a while, you might take some things for granted at the lower level. But for them to play ordinary isn't good enough. They have to be stars every night.

"For Jason, this is just an adjustment period which I imagine will be a short period. To use a cliche, the cream always comes to the top, and it will."

To his credit, Spezza has been saying all the right things. Throughout training camp, he kept reminding reporters that the AHL is "the best league in the world right now."

But many inside the organization, including Muckler, believe Spezza needs to show more respect for the league by not relying strictly on his superior talent to dangle in the neutral zone or try weaving through multiple defenders.

"I respect the league," insisted Spezza, who scored 54 points (22 goals) in 43 games with Binghamton in 2002-03 and added 55 points (22 goals) in his first full NHL season last year.

"It's just a matter of getting used to the system. At the start of the season, it can be tough to get off to a good start. I'm just going to keep working hard and good stuff will happen."

The Senators are counting on it.