Spotlight on leaders
Players insist sudden loss of veterans not an issue during inconsistent start
“He will be tough to replace. I’ve always said that Alfie is not the most vocal guy in the locker-room, but he always led by example, always scoring that big goal or having that big shift or slowing the game down for a shift. You expect your captain back and it changes the whole make up of the locker-room.”
— Chris Neil, July 5, 2013
It was inevitable, with the Ottawa Senators treading water, striving to find consistency, that the absence of Daniel Alfredsson would become a hot topic.
After a weak response to an unlucky break in Philadelphia late Tuesday, leading to a 5-2 defeat, Senators players were greeted with fresh questions about a potential leadership vacuum when they arrived at the Canadian Tire Centre Wednesday morning to prepare for their game against the Minnesota Wild.
Yet while fingers are being pointed at new captain Jason Spezza for not doing enough to try and correct the many, sundry mistakes that are being made all around him, defenceman Marc Methot is steadfast in his support for No. 19.
“Spezza does speak up, it’s not like he’s quiet in there,” said Methot. “He’s talking to us and when we need a bit of an earful, he has been giving it to us. I don’t think leadership is an issue at all. I think it’s just that every night, there’s maybe one, two or three guys that aren’t buying in or are not prepared.
“The problem is, with a team like us, you need everybody going. And when that’s not happening, you’re not going to win a lot of hockey games.”
Spezza is part of the internal leadership group that is confused and disturbed about the steady stream of slow starts — the Senators had allowed the first goal in 15 of 21 games and had been behind 2-0 in 11 games before taking on the Wild — and anxious to find any type of pregame routine or approach which will settle the team down.
“We feel like there are answers in our dressing room,” said Spezza, acknowledging that the confidence levels have risen and fallen in keeping with the fortunes of the inconsistent team. “We all have to be better. It starts with me and veteran guys.”
Perhaps where Alfredsson (and to a lesser extent, Sergei Gonchar) is being missed most is on the ice during the key moments within games. Both Alfredsson and Gonchar have that veteran presence, an ability to buy time, holding on to the puck a split second longer during the rough patches when a team needs to calm the waters.
Through the first quarter of the current season, the Senators have been caught chasing the puck far too often in their own zone — especially early in games — unable to find a way to slow down opponents’ momentum.
The relative inexperience has often translated into panic.
Everybody is responsible, but the early goals have put a spotlight on the club’s young defence. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that general manager Bryan Murray is anxious to find a veteran who can help clean things up inside the blue-line.
Even if a newcomer arrives, the existing group needs to improve. ASAP.
“It’s time for us to grow up a little bit here and mature defensively and really start playing a lot more sound in our own end,” said Methot.
All that said, Methot has support in his opinion that internal leadership isn’t the issue.
“It’s very strong,” Kyle Turris said, when asked about the core. “(Spezza, Chris Phillips, Chris Neil), all the older guys are great leaders. They’re all pointing us in the right direction. It’s everybody. Even the guys who don’t wear letters, (Methot), all the guys are chipping in, trying to help.”
Just in case fans need a reminder of who the old captain was, the Senators play Detroit twice in the next 11 days.