Sens vs. Admirals 10/29/2004 Articles: Spezza, new line spark B-Sens' victory
October 30, 2004

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

Spezza, new line spark B-Sens' victory

Center tallies 2 goals, 2 assists

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- Jason Spezza is back.

Actually, Spezza hasn't gone anywhere since last month when he agreed to start the season in the minors after being locked out of the NHL. But after seeing the center skate in the first five games, it was impossible to believe that was really him wearing No. 9 for the Binghamton Senators.

Then, on Friday night against the defensively stingy Norfolk Admirals, Spezza showed up in the Senators' 5-3 victory.

He set up two goals and scored two of his own -- including a shorthanded marker in the second period -- and was voted No. 1 star -- before an announced 4,455 at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

"Spez played well," said captain Chris Kelly, who was pretty good himself with a goal, three assists and a plus-5 rating. "He played well at both ends. Spez puts a lot of pressure on himself. Good players do that, and he answered the bell."

Spezza's resurgence paralleled the entire team's. Having failed to play three straight solid periods in the season's first two weeks, the Senators looked every bit like the Calder Cup favorite they were pegged to be during the preseason.

For the first time, they played a dominant first period, outshooting the Admirals 21-6. And although they went into the first intermission locked in a 1-1 tie, they kept coming in the second and third.

The tour-de-force performances came from the newly minted line of Spezza, Kelly and rookie winger Brandon Bochenski, who figured in all of the goals and helped the Senators build a cozy three-goal lead 99 seconds into the third period.

Spezza and Kelly tied a franchise record with four-point games, while Bochenski netted his first professional goal.

"It's a case of three skill players working well together," coach Dave Cameron said. "When Jason Spezza elevates his game like that, it makes him an easy guy to play with. Chris brings a lot of stability away from the puck, and Bochenski is an offensive guy who took advantage."

The Senators took slightly more than 10 minutes to do something they were unable to do for 180 late last season:Score against Norfolk goalie Michael Leighton.

Leighton posted three 3-0 shutouts over the Senators at the Arena in a span of seven days last April, including two in a preliminary-round playoff sweep that left the Senators shaking the heads he had crept inside with a series of mind-bending saves.

But he bent at 10:10 of the first period when Spezza fed Bochenski at the right post for a shot under the crossbar to open a 1-0 lead.

The Admirals netted the equalizer 32 seconds later on a stellar effort by winger Travis Moen, but once the second period started, Spezza took over.

Despite being hauled down as he rushed the puck down the right side, Spezza one-handed a shot that darted past Leighton to regain the Senators' lead at 5:04, and after the Admirals struck back with Ajay Baines' power-play goal at 7:15, Kelly and Spezza put the game away with shorthanded efforts.

Kelly scored 13 seconds after Baines on a shot from the top of the left circle, and Spezza showed the skills that make him the top choice as the Ottawa Senators' top center once the NHL resumes play by steaming down the right side, holding the puck long enough to freeze a defender and beating Leighton with a wrist shot.

"I hadn't played the way I wanted to play," Spezza said. "I'm being looked upon as a leader here, and I wasn't leading very well. This was a lot better. But one good game doesn't fix everything. I need to come out and do it again (tonight)."

Spezza fed Charlie Stephens at 1:39 of the third with a cross-ice pass on a two-on-one to put the game out of reach, and in the waning minute, launched a shot over an empty net in a bid for his first AHL hat trick.

"I'm not a good empty-net guy," said a smiling Spezza, good at everything else.

Finally.