Madferret
3-08-07, 12:24 PM
Spezza returns as Sens host Leafs
Canadian Press
OTTAWA (CP) - The Ottawa Senators will welcome the return of Jason Spezza Thursday as they play host to their provincial rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Spezza missed Tuesday's game against Pittsburgh after aggravating a back injury while grocery shopping.
"I'm not going to get into too many details. It was just a freak thing going about my daily business," Spezza said of the injury, one that Murray seemed to be only half-joking about when he said it happened while his star centre was getting out of his car with shopping bags.
The initial fear was that the injury was a recurrence of the problem that forced the 23-year-old to undergo surgery last summer, but Spezza insisted it's not related.
"Which is a good thing," he said. "It's a totally different kind of pain, but it's not something that will nag me."
With seven goals and 12 assists during an 11-game point streak that ended Tuesday, Spezza and the Senators are hoping for a quick cure to get him back in the lineup as early as Thursday, which is the first game in a home-and-home series that continues Saturday at Air Canada Centre.
"Basically, they're in the playoffs now and we've got to play like that," Senators defenceman Wade Redden said following Wednesday's practice. "Just because we've got a few points up on them, we can't be satisfied just stumbling into the playoffs."
While the Senators have been sliding, the Leafs are coming off a 3-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and have won two of their last three games to move into eighth in the Eastern Conference standings heading into Wednesday's action.
Toronto handed the Senators a 3-2 shootout loss the last time they met Feb. 3 at Scotiabank Place.
"We had a tough time with them the last time we met them. They get a shutout last night," Murray said. "We're going to have to know that we have to play our 'A' game (Thursday), without question."
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20061019/spezza_70678.jpg
Canadian Press
OTTAWA (CP) - The Ottawa Senators will welcome the return of Jason Spezza Thursday as they play host to their provincial rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Spezza missed Tuesday's game against Pittsburgh after aggravating a back injury while grocery shopping.
"I'm not going to get into too many details. It was just a freak thing going about my daily business," Spezza said of the injury, one that Murray seemed to be only half-joking about when he said it happened while his star centre was getting out of his car with shopping bags.
The initial fear was that the injury was a recurrence of the problem that forced the 23-year-old to undergo surgery last summer, but Spezza insisted it's not related.
"Which is a good thing," he said. "It's a totally different kind of pain, but it's not something that will nag me."
With seven goals and 12 assists during an 11-game point streak that ended Tuesday, Spezza and the Senators are hoping for a quick cure to get him back in the lineup as early as Thursday, which is the first game in a home-and-home series that continues Saturday at Air Canada Centre.
"Basically, they're in the playoffs now and we've got to play like that," Senators defenceman Wade Redden said following Wednesday's practice. "Just because we've got a few points up on them, we can't be satisfied just stumbling into the playoffs."
While the Senators have been sliding, the Leafs are coming off a 3-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and have won two of their last three games to move into eighth in the Eastern Conference standings heading into Wednesday's action.
Toronto handed the Senators a 3-2 shootout loss the last time they met Feb. 3 at Scotiabank Place.
"We had a tough time with them the last time we met them. They get a shutout last night," Murray said. "We're going to have to know that we have to play our 'A' game (Thursday), without question."
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20061019/spezza_70678.jpg