DETROIT -- Jason Spezza and Bobby Ryan most exemplified the Ottawa Senators transition from the Daniel Alfredsson era. http://www.nflofficialauthentic.com/nfl-jerseys/atlanta-falcons/osi-umenyiora-jersey-c-1_22_1573.html . Spezza was tasked with taking over for Alfredsson as captain, and Ryan with filling the void as a scoring winger. In the Senators first game against Alfredsson and the Detroit Red Wings, Spezza and Ryan fittingly spearheaded an impressive offensive display in a 6-1 blowout at Joe Louis Arena. Those performances made it easier to forget about Alfredsson. "Bobby Ryan gets two and Jason gets two, and I thought Erik Karlsson was a force in the game, as well," coach Paul MacLean said. "We played the game tonight and we end up winning it, a big win for us on the road. It had little to do with Daniel." Defenceman Chris Phillips called it "just another game," but there was no denying the added significance of facing the former face of the franchise. Its impossible to fill the Alfredsson void completely, but leave it up to Spezza and Ryan to try. Spezza, who made it clear he understood fans paying closer attention to this game, was rolling offensively. He scored his first goal on the power play by shooting through a triple screen and the legs of Detroit defenceman Brian Lashoff, and later on banked the puck off the glass and corralled it to get his second. "I felt good tonight," said Spezza, who has seven goals and three assists in 10 games. "I thought I moved well, and when I move well usually I play well." It was the eighth regular-season game that Spezza served as captain. Understandably this was the biggest because it came against the man who wore the "C" on his chest for 14 seasons, and Spezza shined in that spotlight. "I think its good to play well in a big game," he said. "I think that taking over the captaincy is just all about learning every day for me and learning how to become a good captain in this league. I was trying to learn under Alfie when he was here, and its always something that I wanted. Now that I have the C, its a matter of trying to learn through different situations and be consistent." As a team, it was the Senators most consistent, complete effort of the season. Mika Zibanejad made an early impact in his first game of the season with an assist on Eric Grybas goal, and Anderson made 31 saves on 32 shots. But someone had to put the puck in the net, and Ryan makes a habit of doing that better than anyone else on the roster. The four-time 30-goal scorer put up his fifth and sixth of the season against Detroit, chasing goaltender Jimmy Howard in the first period and beating Jonas Gustavsson in the third. The Senators softened the blow of Alfredsson signing in Detroit by acquiring Ryan in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks the same day. Ryan knows the comparison will continue to be made, but hes not the one doing it. "I think were two completely different players -- hes leaving at a part of his career where hes winding down and Im kind of entering that area where you start to figure yourself out as a player," Ryan said. "Were completely different dynamics, I think." Although they werent traded for each other like Phil Kessel and Tyler Seguin -- more accurately the draft pick that the Boston Bruins used to take him -- Ryan and Alfredsson are offensive-minded right-wingers, so the connection isnt going to stop. "Its a natural, its an easy comparison for you guys, I understand it," Ryan said. "But nobodys going to do what he did there." Alfredsson spent a lot of time this week addressing what he did in Ottawa, his departure after 17 seasons with the Senators and his fit with the Red Wings. No longer the spokesman for a team, the 40-year-old spoke for himself after a game in which he was generally a non-factor, finishing with two shots and two penalty minutes in 16 minutes 12 seconds of ice time. "It was obviously a different game today, the way it turned out," Alfredsson said. "It didnt feel too crazy. Warm-up was what it was. Once the game going, youre really into it. It was unfortunate the game it was it didnt really turn into a good battle, which I expected." Instead, Alfredsson and the Red Wings were left to lament their third straight loss in which he said the team looked slow. Coach Mike Bab**** said his team didnt look very good but didnt know if that was a product of distraction. "Ive got no idea," he said. "Were not going to know the answer to that anyway. We can all speculate. The bottom line is we were no good here today. Its not like I saw it coming, its not like I think our play is falling off or anything. I was surprised to say the least. Disappointed for Alfie that we couldnt have done a better job." By comparison, the Senators did about as good a job as they could have, building off a strong performance in a loss to the Edmonton Oilers and getting rewarded for it. "I think we finally played a full, 60-minute game," Ryan said. "Weve seemed to put parts of it together in the past and gotten away from it, and tonight we didnt. Even when we got up a few, we kept the pedal down, and that was important." It was important for the Senators to put forth a good effort in an Atlantic Division game, even this early in the season. They were smiling much more about that than beating Alfredsson. "To beat the elite teams can give you confidence as a group," Spezza said. "We feel Detroits one of the best teams in our division and to beat them, hopefully we can use this as a bit of springboard to play better hockey." NOTES -- Patrick Wiercioch was a healthy scratch on defence for the Senators, as Joe Corvo played his fourth game of the season. ... Niklas Kronwall was considered questionable to play after taking a puck to the face during Detroits morning skate. The Red Wings called up defenceman Xavier Ouellet as a precaution, but he was made a healthy scratch http://www.nflofficialauthentic.com/nfl-jerseys/atlanta-falcons/dezmen-southward-jersey-c-1_22_2137.html . The smooth-talking, slick-fielding shortstop has spent nearly half his life with the same organization, so he turned down more money from the Milwaukee Brewers to stay in Philadelphia. Pat Tillman Cardinals Jersey . Howards plan worked. He had 17 points and 10 rebounds by halftime on the way to a 26-point night to help the Rockets cruise to their third straight win, a 119-98 victory over the Kings. Howard also had 13 rebounds and four blocks and James Harden added 24 points and nine assists before the pair went to the bench for the fourth quarter.There was a moment during Fridays training session in Obetz, Ohio, where Whitecaps players were doing their “2 in the middle” drill, a fun warm-up exercise they would have performed hundreds of times. As me and some other stragglers were chatting informally with Caps Coach Carl Robinson, an explosive roar came from the group, some of whom were now on the ground laughing. I said to the coach, “Thats a good sound." "Brilliant” he replied. Something special is happening within a group that has representation from all over the world and that varies in age from 20 to 34. Theres a togetherness, despite a language barrier that could easily divide the locker room between the Latin-based players, the younger Americans and the senior pros. Midfield maestro and Designated Player Pedro Morales was in the hotel lobby with a few teammates having a coffee when he remarked on how this might be the best team spirit hes experienced in his career. This is a 10-year pro who was playing in La Liga only a few months ago with Malaga. Prior to Wednesdays Amway Canadian Championships, a game which featured a very young, Canadian heavy squad, all the senior players remained in the locker room right up until kick-off to offer support and encouragement for the youngsters who are likely to replace them one day. Nigel Reo Coker, a veteran of the Barclays Premier League, who played in the Toronto game, teased the armband-wearing Russelll Teibert as the Niagara Falls, Ontario native gave his first captains speech in the huddle.http://www.nflofficialauthentic.com/nfl-jerseys/arizona-cardinals/andre-ellington-jersey-c-1_13_1842.html. “Speak up, Russ. I cant hear you.” More laughter. More calming of nerves before a team of kids was about to battle a line-up that featured Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Gilberto. The Whitecaps more senior group then followed up the Toronto performance with a solid, cohesive and monstrous away win at Columbus, where 23-year-old Eric Hurtado, in only his fifth MLS start, scored his first MLS goal. It was a moment of individual brilliance, as the sophomore took an ousted clearance off his chest and rolled his defender before turning and unleashing a left-footed blast into the top corner. His celebration was oddly muted, as if hed scored that type of goal a hundred times. But the occasion wasnt lost on his teammates who gathered quickly to mob him. When asked about the goal after, Hurtado immediately acknowledged his colleagues role in the goal and the win. It might be overly simplistic to compare team-building with cooking a dish - you follow a recipe that you think will work and then add certain missing ingredients until it tastes just right. Only, there is no recipe for team-building. While the 2014 edition of the Whitecaps is nowhere near ready to put on top of the table, what is simmering on the stove has a wonderful aroma. Its also creating a healthy appetite for hungry Whitecaps fans. ' ' '
