Spezza vs. Heatley: The Playoff Edition

by Jonana on May 26, 2010 11:28 PM EDT

Everyone in Ottawa loves to hate Dany Heatley, and after this season there's been no small amount of grumbling about Jason Spezza. Heatley didn't show up for the playoffs this year, and some say Spezza didn't show up for this season. I wondered how the two matched up in the postseason. Here's what I came up with, and remember: I'm no Ryan Classic...

Let's start with Heatley's playoff performance. Here's what he accomplished in 14 playoff games:

G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PPG	PPA	SHG	SHA	GW	GT	SOG	Pct
2	11	13	-7	16	1	5	0	0	0	0	45	.044

And here's Spezza's 6 games:

G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PPG	PPA	SHG	SHA	GW	GT	SOG	Pct
1	6	7	-3	4	1	3	0	0	0	0	24	.042

I realize we're comparing very different sample sizes here, but let's break this down to a per-game look:

Heatley:

G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PPG	PPA	SHG	SHA	GW	GT	SOG	Pct
0.14	0.79	0.93	-0.5	1.14	0.07	0.36	0	0	0	0	3.21	.044

Spezza:

G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PPG	PPA	SHG	SHA	GW	GT	SOG	Pct
0.17	1	1.17	-0.5	0.67	0.17	0.5	0	0	0	0	4	.043

Ignore the weird numbers there (and the fact that I can't format a table any better than I can do a back crossover), and let's concentrate on what's really important: They're very even. Now if we go back to the question of sample size (14 games for Heater versus 6 for Spezz), you have to wonder what Spezza would have accomplished had the Sens made it past round 1. Spezza was better on the PP, averaged more SOG, and doesn't suck as a human being. More importantly, let's examine what was expected from each of these guys in the playoffs. I don't think anyone expected Spezz to really do anything more than what he'd been doing all season (and he didn't). Heatley was a "hired gun" that misfired badly.

I think the moral of the story is that Heatley still sucks, and we can stop all the "Trade Spezza" grumbling. Spezza can deliver solid performance when he's on a line with good chemistry (and when Alfie isn't playing through a hernia).

Bottom line: Spezza will improve, his nerdy laugh is still awesome, and he's never been outpitched by a 17-year-old-girl.

This FanPost was written by a member of the Silver Seven community, and does not necessarily reflect the beliefs or opinions of the site managers, editors, or Sports Blogs Nation, Inc.

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Comments

I think it's safe to say that both players needed to do more

Not that I think Spezza should be traded, but the team counts on him to generate offense. Guys like Cullen shouldn’t be outpointing him come playoff time.

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by Mark Parisi on May 27, 2010 1:04 AM EDT reply actions

Spezza needs to shoot more

by Alexander Calloway on May 27, 2010 10:04 AM EDT reply actions

This is true

But he is shooting more than he used to. He needs to keep getting better at it.

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by Peter Raaymakers on May 27, 2010 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions

The Hat Trick in Dallas shows he can

by Alexander Calloway on May 27, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

I think his development was stunted by playing with Heatley

He was always looking to pass and that can be a hard habit to break, especially when you’re supposed to be a “playmaker.” He has a good shot and I agree that he needs to use it more — it looked like he was figuring that out when he got back from his knee surgery.

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by Mark Parisi on May 27, 2010 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Spezza definitely offers his team more than Heatley

He makes plays, but Heatley can only finish them. If I had to choose between the two of them, I’d keep Spezza and trade Heatley ten times out of ten.

I traded Heatley in NHL2K9 because of this (and for cap space). And I’d do it again!

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by Peter Raaymakers on May 27, 2010 10:05 AM EDT reply actions

Hopefully you get a better return than Cheechoo

by Alexander Calloway on May 27, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Nick Lidstrom and a first-round pick

It was a steal. Lidstrom helped Ottawa win the cup.

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by Peter Raaymakers on May 27, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

The truth

Spezza is a great player. The main problem is that there is a dozen of players at center that are better, but there is hundreds of players that are worst.

Most crazies (spezza traders) only see the 10 or 12 players that are better.

I would love to have Crosby or Malkin, but’s that is not going to happen.

by Bikini Cowboy on May 27, 2010 1:05 PM EDT reply actions

This is what I'm saying.

He’s above average in the league.

I think the question of expectations is significant here – Heatley came with high expectations and was a complete dud. Spezz is a somewhat above average player who performed at the same level as Heatley (a little better, actually) during the playoffs.

Spezza didn’t have a bad season. He had a short season, only playing 60 games thanks to his knee. He still put up 57 points and finished even (yes, finishing on the plus side is better, obviously).

Crooklyn is right, he does need to shoot more. I hate to see him farting around in front of the net missing chances. But again, you have to take into account that any line is only as strong as its individual components, and Alfie was playing through something that would make any of us sob like a child. So I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that healthy Alfie + Spezza + Regin will continue to be freaking magic next season.

No, actually I can't get enough of Spezza's nerdy laugh.

by Jonana on May 27, 2010 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions

The whole crux is that there's an unreasonable link of expectation to salary

Detractors want to compare Spezza to the other $7M players in the league. If he’s not performing as well as them, then he must suck.

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by Mark Parisi on May 27, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

no present alternative

The fact is that most ~~idiots~~ spezza traders never consider what happens without Spezza. They want to trade him away and then put Fisher as a first line center. I like Fisher, i think he is a great third line and a average 2nd line center, but to trust him as a first line is just stupid.

Look at most successful teams they have a core of great centermen, that’s what you need to compete for the Stanley cup. The senators should go get a good 2nd line center to make our centers:
Spezza
Granlund(i wish)
Fisher
Kelly.

by Bikini Cowboy on May 27, 2010 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I would be fine with Granlund but I'm hoping for Kabanov

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by Mark Parisi on May 27, 2010 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions

What about Regin in the middle?

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by Peter Raaymakers on May 27, 2010 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Rec'd for this:

Spezza was better on the PP, averaged more SOG, and doesn’t suck as a human being.

Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.

@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard

by Bloggy on May 28, 2010 9:27 AM EDT reply actions

That ’doesn’t suck as a human being’ goes a long way. I wish people hadn’t booed him during the playoffs… I fail to understand how that is at all effective or even lessens your frustration. It’s just stupid. Boo the opponents!

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by Peter Raaymakers on May 28, 2010 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

They (we) get a little frustrated with his blind drop-passes.

It’s understandable, and it’s hard to get 20,000 people to say “Please stop doing that” all at the same time. ;)

Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.

@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard

by Bloggy on May 28, 2010 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh, I understand the frustration all too well

Trust me, I get frustrated with him plenty—it seems like such an easy thing to stop, and yet he keeps doing them.

I still don’t understand why you’d boo the team’s biggest superstar. Seems pretty silly.

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by Peter Raaymakers on May 28, 2010 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions

i understand as well but...

Spezza is way more talented then any of the spezza haters, unless Crosby and Ovechin were in the crowd. Do we have confirmation that they were not on a double date at the Piggy Bank Place?

by Bikini Cowboy on May 28, 2010 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions

The problem is that Ottawa has someone who is #1 and in fans heart and his name be Alfie. As much as you might want to compare him to players outside the organization, Alfie has and probably will continue to be the measuring stick of what we expect from a player. The problem with this kind of thinking is that Alfie and Spezza aren’t cut from the same cloth. Ideally I think we’d love to see Spezza forecheck and get his nose dirty hustling for pucks in the corner, but that really isn’t his game.

The biggest problem Ottawa has is that we tend to ride our players too hard. I think in Ottawa we chew em up and spit em out even faster then say in Toronto, which is also a pressure cooker. We’ve been a contender for so long that it has started to make the fanbase bitter with the lack of success. Reality is Ottawa is the most successful Canadian team over the last 13 years, and I think Canadian teams bear an added layer of pressure given our 17 year Cup drought. I’d almost be willing to bet if one Canadian team breaks through the glass ceiling and wins the Cup you’ll probably see a few Canadian champions quickly follow suit as some of this built up pressure is alleviated.

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by modsuperstar on May 29, 2010 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions