Player Discussion #90 - Jason Spezza

[SilverSeven]

He probably attempted 20 drop passes a season. Half ended up in the back of their net. 1 or 2 in ours.

 

[caymanmew]

I haven't seen him do a blind pass yet in Dallas that wasn't connected.

It's just a matter of time before he starts lighting it up with Hemsky. They've both been much better defensively than what we've been told to believe.

Getting more than one powerplay per game would be a good thing for them as well.

you have not seen it because it does not happen that often. did he do it a couple time? yes. did they turn out very badly? yes. where they in important games? yes...... where they 8 years or so ago? yes.

most ottawa fans dont forget his mistakes(with blind passes) and dont realize he all but stopped making those mistakes.

 

[TonySoprano11]

Well, Spezza had been with Ottawa since 2001. In that time:

- he was scapegoated at every chance by the media, and fans (despite being one of the most productive players in the league, regular season and playoffs)
- was booed by his own fans, in his home arena, in the playoffs (and not really the only time he'd been jeered/booed by our fans)
- constantly in the middle of trade speculation almost every year, generally with a lot of vocal Ottawa fans (and media) hoping he was traded
- was sent back to junior and publicly criticized by our management (apparently offensive superstars NEED to be good defensively at 19)
- everyone makes fun of his laugh (lol)

All of this while he was a loyal soldier for Ottawa, and was a consummate professional. I honestly feel like if he played somewhere different and was developed a little differently he could have had an even better career (somewhere that encouraged his offensive abilities instead of initially stunting them, and built around him).

Anyway, he'll be great for Dallas. I just think that a lot of vocal people (fans, and media) really never appreciated just how special a talent and player Spezza is.

This and the rest of the whitewashing going on here of Spezza's reputation/history is outrageous. The handful of you Spezza fans on here trying to raise him up as some kind of martyr is just plain wrong.

I am sorry that he was your favorite player, and that he was a superstar on the team when you started following the Sens over the last 10 years, but in reality Jason Spezza deserves every shred of criticism that most Senators fans, the Senators organization, and most hockey pundits in North America have said about him.

It won't take long for Dallas fans and media to start seeing it too. About 20% of time Jason Spezza is a truly magical and gifted player. The other 80% of the time much is to be desired for the salary he is given, and the role he is asked to play.

Jason Spezza has provided Ottawa and its fans a decade of quality hockey service. However, he never was able to achieve the level of play - consistently - that he was expected to. He stopped maturing as a player very early on, and when year after year he would continue to make the same kind of bad decisions, show half hearted efforts, not improve on his defensive game, and fail to show the kind of leadership that is expected of a #1C - well there is no wonder why so many fans and media people in Ottawa threw their hands up at Jason Spezza.

Dallas fans, Jason is a good guy and a good player. He is going to WOW you a number of times this season. But the cracks in his game will show, they will frustrate you, and ultimately they will cost you a game here and a game there. And in the Western Conference, when you lose 3-5 points in a season because Spezza didnt get back on D, or because he dropped a blind pass to the opposing team, or he simply turned the puck over tying to be too fancy and it ended up going back the other way for a goal against your team - you will understand why years of that in Ottawa eroded the support for this near generational talent of a hockey player.

 

[dechire]

I can see that Spezza is the new Seguin. I predict that after his first goal we'll be told it doesn't count because he either made a blind drop pass at some point in the game or he didn't backcheck well enough during a goal against or there was the faint sound of his distinct laughter echoing across the ice proving that his skill comes from giggling and isn't real talent

 

[Stars99Lobo37]

Ottawa fans are as obsessed with Spezza failing/succeeding as Boston fans are with Seguin.

 

[RastaRockett]

Ottawa fans are as obsessed with Spezza failing/succeeding as Boston fans are with Seguin.

Most of what I have seen has been pretty positive from Sens fans...

 

[RastaRockett]

This and the rest of the whitewashing going on here of Spezza's reputation/history is outrageous. The handful of you Spezza fans on here trying to raise him up as some kind of martyr is just plain wrong.

I am sorry that he was your favorite player, and that he was a superstar on the team when you started following the Sens over the last 10 years, but in reality Jason Spezza deserves every shred of criticism that most Senators fans, the Senators organization, and most hockey pundits in North America have said about him.

It won't take long for Dallas fans and media to start seeing it too. About 20% of time Jason Spezza is a truly magical and gifted player. The other 80% of the time much is to be desired for the salary he is given, and the role he is asked to play.

Jason Spezza has provided Ottawa and its fans a decade of quality hockey service. However, he never was able to achieve the level of play - consistently - that he was expected to. He stopped maturing as a player very early on, and when year after year he would continue to make the same kind of bad decisions, show half hearted efforts, not improve on his defensive game, and fail to show the kind of leadership that is expected of a #1C - well there is no wonder why so many fans and media people in Ottawa threw their hands up at Jason Spezza.

Dallas fans, Jason is a good guy and a good player. He is going to WOW you a number of times this season. But the cracks in his game will show, they will frustrate you, and ultimately they will cost you a game here and a game there. And in the Western Conference, when you lose 3-5 points in a season because Spezza didnt get back on D, or because he dropped a blind pass to the opposing team, or he simply turned the puck over tying to be too fancy and it ended up going back the other way for a goal against your team - you will understand why years of that in Ottawa eroded the support for this near generational talent of a hockey player.

Well he's our #2 C

 

[FrailSwan]

Most of what I have seen has been pretty positive from Sens fans...

I've noticed it to be about 50-50.

 

[piqued]

Well he's our #2 C

That's the key. If he fails to deliver #2 center production and the PP doesn't improve then we'll have problems.

I wouldn't compare the Spezza/Seguin situations either. Spezza is a finished product and Sens' fans impressions are going to be more or less right, albeit colored by different expectations. But even the Seguin boosters amongst the Bruins fanbase didn't seem to totally understand the player they had because he's so young and still developing.

 

[TrillMike]

Is this the Stars board?

 

[Stars99Lobo37]

Is this the Stars board?

Senars board.

 

[Rune Forumwalker]

Senars board.

Senatars.

 

[MetalGodAOD*]

This and the rest of the whitewashing going on here of Spezza's reputation/history is outrageous. The handful of you Spezza fans on here trying to raise him up as some kind of martyr is just plain wrong.

I am sorry that he was your favorite player, and that he was a superstar on the team when you started following the Sens over the last 10 years, but in reality Jason Spezza deserves every shred of criticism that most Senators fans, the Senators organization, and most hockey pundits in North America have said about him.

It won't take long for Dallas fans and media to start seeing it too. About 20% of time Jason Spezza is a truly magical and gifted player. The other 80% of the time much is to be desired for the salary he is given, and the role he is asked to play.

Jason Spezza has provided Ottawa and its fans a decade of quality hockey service. However, he never was able to achieve the level of play - consistently - that he was expected to. He stopped maturing as a player very early on, and when year after year he would continue to make the same kind of bad decisions, show half hearted efforts, not improve on his defensive game, and fail to show the kind of leadership that is expected of a #1C - well there is no wonder why so many fans and media people in Ottawa threw their hands up at Jason Spezza.

Dallas fans, Jason is a good guy and a good player. He is going to WOW you a number of times this season. But the cracks in his game will show, they will frustrate you, and ultimately they will cost you a game here and a game there. And in the Western Conference, when you lose 3-5 points in a season because Spezza didnt get back on D, or because he dropped a blind pass to the opposing team, or he simply turned the puck over tying to be too fancy and it ended up going back the other way for a goal against your team - you will understand why years of that in Ottawa eroded the support for this near generational talent of a hockey player.

Can't wait for this to keep going all year. Was hoping the off-season would be the end of it, but guess not.

We've had about 20 Ottawa fans come here "in peace" to tell us the exact same thing you did. We get it. We're in the season now, so let us make our own determinations on him.

 

[glovesave_35]

This and the rest of the whitewashing going on here of Spezza's reputation/history is outrageous. The handful of you Spezza fans on here trying to raise him up as some kind of martyr is just plain wrong.

I am sorry that he was your favorite player, and that he was a superstar on the team when you started following the Sens over the last 10 years, but in reality Jason Spezza deserves every shred of criticism that most Senators fans, the Senators organization, and most hockey pundits in North America have said about him.

It won't take long for Dallas fans and media to start seeing it too. About 20% of time Jason Spezza is a truly magical and gifted player. The other 80% of the time much is to be desired for the salary he is given, and the role he is asked to play.

Jason Spezza has provided Ottawa and its fans a decade of quality hockey service. However, he never was able to achieve the level of play - consistently - that he was expected to. He stopped maturing as a player very early on, and when year after year he would continue to make the same kind of bad decisions, show half hearted efforts, not improve on his defensive game, and fail to show the kind of leadership that is expected of a #1C - well there is no wonder why so many fans and media people in Ottawa threw their hands up at Jason Spezza.

Dallas fans, Jason is a good guy and a good player. He is going to WOW you a number of times this season. But the cracks in his game will show, they will frustrate you, and ultimately they will cost you a game here and a game there. And in the Western Conference, when you lose 3-5 points in a season because Spezza didnt get back on D, or because he dropped a blind pass to the opposing team, or he simply turned the puck over tying to be too fancy and it ended up going back the other way for a goal against your team - you will understand why years of that in Ottawa eroded the support for this near generational talent of a hockey player.

I know you're trying to balance out what the "pro-Spezza" fans are saying, but I feel like the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

I just can't take too seriously negatives lobbed at him when those criticisms are couched in phrases like, "About 20% of time Jason Spezza is a truly magical and gifted player. The other 80% of the time much is to be desired for the salary he is given, and the role he is asked to play."

If that truly is the case then this guy is even better than I thought, because that 20% of the time he is putting up some really good numbers.

I also agree with the Stars crowd who knows that Spezza isn't being asked to be our savior 1st line center. We need him to be and offensive support for our top guys, help the PP, and put up high end 2nd line C production. If those don't happen, then you will see plenty of us rip him.

 

[Stars99Lobo37]

Well those no look passes worked out well tonight in the 3rd.

 

[Cin]

That ****ing pass. THAT PASS!

 

[piqued]

Spezza was pretty crappy defensively tonight and there were several turnovers but it was encouraging to see that his intensity meter rose to the occasion along with the others down the stretch. Putting him with Benn/Seguin in emergency situations is an interesting failsafe switch to be able to flip. Don't want to have to do it too often though.

 

[Stars99Lobo37]

Putting him with Benn/Seguin in emergency situations is an interesting failsafe switch to be able to flip. Don't want to have to do it too often though.

Agreed with both statements.

I think it'll take longer than I expected for him to get going really. I put too much into my expectations of thinking he'd just click right away like Tyler did (mainly cause he had Benn). Learning an entirely new system that he definitely looks out of place in right now.

 

[Dr Pepper]

http://video.stars.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=645776

I fail at embedding these things, but.......yes.

 

[TrillMike]

Incredible pass. He got ****ed on the no goal call.

 

[BigG44]

Lost in the Goligoski interview post game was that Spezza actually drew up that play. He mentioned it once and I thought maybe it was just a wrong word choice or he meant great pass or whatever. Then he again specifically mentioned Spezza drawing up the play at the bench.

We've got our new Whiteboard Willie ... and this one doesn't even need a step stool.

 

[BigG44]

FWIW ... this was the first quote that I wasn't sure if he literally drew up the play.

“That was maybe a bit of a tough call, but maybe the hockey gods a little bit. A little karma,” said Goligoski. “The guys stuck with it. We are able to get the one and Spezza drew up a nice play there and we were able to get the win. Those things don’t happen very often. It feels good.”

I thought he might just have meant he made a good pass/play to Seguin ... didn't want to jump to conclusions. The 2nd quote made it clear that he was talking about him drawing it up at the bench.

 

[Kamina]

dem passes. happy for you guys.

(sens fan)

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I know you're trying to balance out what the "pro-Spezza" fans are saying, but I feel like the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

I just can't take too seriously negatives lobbed at him when those criticisms are couched in phrases like, "About 20% of time Jason Spezza is a truly magical and gifted player. The other 80% of the time much is to be desired for the salary he is given, and the role he is asked to play."

If that truly is the case then this guy is even better than I thought, because that 20% of the time he is putting up some really good numbers.

I also agree with the Stars crowd who knows that Spezza isn't being asked to be our savior 1st line center. We need him to be and offensive support for our top guys, help the PP, and put up high end 2nd line C production. If those don't happen, then you will see plenty of us rip him.

pretty much this and weve been dealing with it since 2001. "spezza only tries (insert percentage < 30%) of the time.. and hes PPG player. so i dono maybe some sens fan expected 250 points out of him on a yearly basis.
man..20% of the time, how is the guy still in the NHL.

 

[YNWA14]

Spezza is an offensive dynamo. If you are expecting him to stop goals from going in your own net then you have the wrong expectation of him. Again, typically he even has more points against playoff teams than against non-playoff teams, and he's a point per game player in the playoffs. He is also just as good at scoring goals, generally, as he is at setting them up. He's also a great faceoff guy.

However if you think he got a fair shake in Ottawa, or that fans are reasonable about him, all you have to do is look at how many people are defending Karlsson after last night's game. Karlsson was awful, and if Spezza had a game like that there would have probably been a thread, an effigy, and 10 pages in every other topic related to the way he played.

Anyway, I don't want to continue this back and forth all season or for the rest of time. Frankly, I'm tired of having to defend him for the last 10 years. In reality I shouldn't have had to. But I guess it's hard to appreciate what Spezza did in Ottawa.

EDIT: Just to finish though, and to point out what horsecrap is stated in the post up there about 'whitewashing' or being 'sorry he was my favourite player' but he stopped maturing as a player very early on in his career supposedly, yet he was 28 when he got to 4th in scoring, was a responsible centre defensively, one of the better faceoff guys in the league and carried Ottawa to the playoffs on his back. Then he went and was Ottawa's leading scorer in the playoffs losing to the 1st seeded Rangers in a very tilted series of 7 games. His wingers that year? Michalek, Greening and Butler. He was 6th in Hart voting.