Senators break up tandem of heatley and spezza
Over the last few seasons, the Ottawa Senators - looking to spread out their offence - have tried breaking up their 'pizza line' by shifting winger Daniel Alfredsson to another trio.
But that won't be the case anymore as head coach Craig Hartsburg will do what no other Senators coach has tried yet - split up the dynamic duo of Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza.
With 16 goals in their first five games, the team hopes to generate a more balanced attack by putting Mike Fisher between Alfredsson and Heatley and shifting Spezza to the second unit with sophomore Nick Foligno and rookie Jesse Winchester. While some may see the move as a demotion for Spezza, it should be noted that Foligno has been the team's best forward this season and the playmaking centre is expected to log in the same amount of ice time as he has in previous games.
"Coach talked to me about it already," said Spezza. "We are just trying to get the team going and change things up. Just because he is making changes doesn't mean it's a demotion. If we want to win hockey games we need to learn to adapt."
Playing with his new linemates won't be new territory for Spezza, who skated alongside Winchester early in the pre-season. The move is also expected to spread out the opposition's defence more thinly instead of allowing them to concentrate on the top line. "I think we can be an effective line," Spezza explained. "I've been around now for a little bit and I probably won't be facing the top checking from the other team's top defence and I've got to try and find away to take advantage of that."
It also appears that the trio of Spezza, Foligno and Winchester will only be used in even-strength situations. Spezza and Heatley are still expected to man the power play together and could still be reunited depending on how a game goes.
"I'm sure we may see each other at times, but it's really not as big a deal as it's made out to be," he said.
Tell that to Hartsburg, who saw his superstar tandem struggle in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. Spezza was nearly invisible with no points and one shot on goal, while Heatley was limited to two shots and one assist.
"You are trying to do what's best for your team and right now I think this is the best scenario," said Hartsburg. "I think Jason knows his game has been in spurts. When he's been good he's been very good and when he hasn't, just like our team, we're kind of in the same mode. Your best players are your identity as your team and right now we are kind of in and out."
Placing Fisher on the top line could also give Heatley and Alfredsson an edge. The 6-1, 210-pound centre excels on the forecheck and plays well at both ends of the ice.
"What I see in Mike Fisher is a guy who plays a straight line power forward-type game as a center ice man," explained Hartsburg. "He gets to pucks first, finishes checks, take pucks to the net and can be good defensively."
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