Report: Spezza Could Miss Eight Weeks With Knee Injury

Ottawa Senators centre Jason Spezza suffered a serious knee injury in Monday's loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the full extent of the injury.

The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that Senators head coach Cory Clouston said Spezza will not require surgery but could be out up to eight weeks.

''It means we'll have to be more of a team than ever,'' Clouston said Tuesday. "We're going to have to have guys step up and play with structure."

Spezza left the ice late in the third period after getting tangled up with Leafs' forward Lee Stempniak during a faceoff. Stempniak appeared to roll over on Spezza's right leg.

The Senators' playmaking centre immediately left the ice and headed directly to the team's dressing room without putting weight on the leg.

''I felt something and then I tried to get up and skate but I had no power in it so I knew something was wrong and I went right off,'' said Spezza, who had scored his fifth goal of the season earlier in the game. "It's always frustrating when you get hurt. It's part of the game but it's never easy. My game was coming around but everything happens for a reason so now I 've got to get better."

While Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson is disappointed that Spezza will be out of the lineup, he hoping it's an opportunity for someone else to step in.  

''Anytime one of your top offensive guys goes down, it leaves a hole but we'll keep plugging along,'' said Alfredsson. ''Someone else will get an opportunity and everyone has to chip in a little bit more.''

Josh Hennessey has been recalled on an emergency basis from Binghamton of the AHL to take Spezza's spot.