Top Plays of 2014: Jason Spezza
The fourth post in Silver Seven's week-long look at the top Ottawa Senators plays of 2014
We've already looked at some pretty great plays from Bobby Ryan, Robin Lehner, and Mike Hoffman. For our next play, we have to go back to the last game of the 2013-14 season.
Ottawa visited Pittsburgh on April 13, 2014 for the final game of the season. It was a difficult and disappointing season for the Senators and the team had already been eliminated from playoff contention before the start of the game. With nothing left to play for, Ottawa pushed the game to overtime, thanks to goals by Kyle Turris and Mark Stone. With the game tied a two, a shootout was necessary.
Beau Bennett and Jussi Jokinen failed to score for Pittsburgh. After Kyle Turris scored on Ottawa's first attempt, it was Jason Spezza's turn.
Spezza's slick move gave the Senators the win and finished the season on a positive note. However, there's another reason this goal stands out: It was Spezza's final effort as a Sen. Rumours were swirling at the time that he'd be moved in the offseason and it felt like a moment to remember at the time. When Spezza was moved in the summer, the suspicions from the April shootout were confirmed.