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 Jason Spezza during practice at the Bell Sensplex. (ERROL McGIHON/Sun Media) |
Jason Spezza hasn’t given up on his Olympic dream.
Executive director Steve Yzerman will announce his choices for Team Canada on Dec. 31 and Spezza is still hopeful he’ll be on the team that goes for gold at February’s Olympics in Vancouver.
Returning to the lineup after missing a week with what’s believed to be a back/groin ailment that has bothered him since camp, Spezza had three points against Tampa Bay on Thursday night.
“It’s obviously in the back of my mind,” said Spezza, who scored his first goal of the season in Ottawa’s 3-2 win over Tampa Bay. “I know I have to get real hot here real soon to get back on that radar.
“Just going to the (orientation) camp (in the summer) and talking to different people there, it just kind of gave me a perspective of things I have to change in my game and just to be more responsible. If I want to be a No. 1 centre I’ve got to work on faceoffs, kill penalties and contribute every night, even when I’m not playing well offensively.”
Spezza has worked on his game at both ends of the ice. But owner Eugene Melnyk isn’t writing the club’s top centre a cheque to be a checker. Offence is his forte.
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Captain Daniel Alfredsson said Spezza can develop into a two-way player — like Dallas centre Mike Modano.
“I don’t see why not,” said Alfredsson. “It’s a tough line, especially when it’s so tight-checking. You also have to ask yourself how much of the offence are you willing to risk to get more defence? Offence is so hard to come by these days.
“If you take away too much creativity and don’t do stuff with the puck, then you might just be a checking player. It’s a fine line. But in today’s game, managing the puck is extremely important. Turnovers are a big part of the game. I find, compared to 10 years ago, all the players are good two-way players — you have to be.”
Being healthy could go a long way in helping Spezza refine his game.
“The time off helped me a lot,” said Spezza. “It helped me physically and it helped me mentally. When you grind it out, and you’re not scoring, you press it a little bit. I got my mind off things and I came into the last game thinking I was going to have a fresh start and new year for me.
“Hopefully, I can start feeling better physically and I can kind of keep things rolling.”