Jason Spezza Sparks Senators

It’s no secret that if the Ottawa Senators are to have a strong playoff run this coming April then they will need a lot more scoring from first line forward Jason Spezza. On Thursday night at home Ottawa fans witnessed what has been a rare sighting this season and that’s Spezza scoring in what was a 2-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This 2001 first round draft pick who registered 32 goals last season will be heavily counted on in the next little while with Ottawa suffering a rash of injuries to key players such as Mike Fisher and Chris Neil. With the goal Spezza who is on the bubble to make the Canadian Olympic Team ended a nine game goalless drought. Ottawa who are now 13-7-3 on the season and 7-1-1 in their last nine at home faced a red hot Columbus goalie in sophomore Steve Mason who kicked out 34 shots. Late in the third period of a 1-1 game Senators gritty forward Nick Foligno scored a goal that Mason would like to have back. “It came down to the last goal,” said Mason about the wraparound. “It was a bad time to give up a bad goal.” If there was a silver lining for Columbus it’s that Mason who won the Calder Trophy last season had a solid game after struggling for the first twenty plus games. Mason who entered the game with a less than stellar 8-6-3 record and a 3.50 GAA caught the attention of Ottawa coach Cory Clouston with his play. “I thought both goalies played well,” he said. “Both teams played hard and had a lot of chances.” What Clouston and the Sens faithful are hoping for going forward is some more production from Spezza who feels optimistic that this Thursday night goal could be the start of a hot streak. “I feel like I want to produce more offensively,” Spezza said. “It’s a start for me and I felt better going in.”