Jason Spezza wasnt much of a factor in a victory over the Ottawa Senators earlier this month, though there should be some extra incentive for the Dallas Stars center to contribute more against his former team Thursday night. Returning to Ottawa for the first time since being traded over the summer, Spezza likely wont let a broken nose keep him from trying to help the Stars earn a seventh consecutive victory over the Senators. Catch all the action on TSN5 at 7pm et/8pm at. You can also listen to the game on TSN Radio 1200 in Ottawa. Spezza, who recorded 251 goals and 436 assists while spending his first 11 seasons with Ottawa, was held without a point for the only time in eight games and had no shots for just the fourth time all season in a 5-4 home victory Jan. 13 - the first meeting since the Senators dealt him to Dallas on July 1. The 31-year-old admitted it felt strange to face his former team that night, and it could be even tougher doing so in Ottawa. Its been a date thats been circled on my calendar, Spezza said. Its nice to have it here and get it over with (Thursday). Though Spezza trails only Daniel Alfredsson in goals, assists and points in Senators history and helped lead the franchise to its only Stanley Cup finals appearance in 2007, his request for a trade over the summer likely remains a sore point for some Ottawa fans. I think fans feel 50-50 about a players departure, Ottawa All-Star and former Spezza teammate Bobby Ryan said. Hell get his cheers and get his jeers as well. Its probably going to be an emotional night for him. Spezza, who has eight goals and 27 assists, is expected to be in the lineup after he broke his nose while being hit into the end boards by Montreals Alexei Emelin during the second period of Tuesdays 3-2 defeat. I broke my nose but I knew I was going to be back, Spezza, who has recorded an assist in five straight games, told the Stars official website. While Spezzas homecoming is a significant aspect to this matchup, he would rather focus on trying to help the Stars avoid a third straight loss. Weve got to find a way to win these games, said Spezza, who signed a four-year extension worth a reported $30 million in November. We need to get points this time of year. Sitting 11th in the Western Conference and six points behind Calgary for the final wild-card spot, Dallas might be facing the ideal opponent to begin a positive run. The Stars have totaled 22 goals during their six-game winning streak over the Senators and are in the midst of a 3-0-2 stretch at Ottawa. Ales Hemsky, who had four goals with 13 assists in 20 games after being traded to Ottawa last season, recorded one of each against the Senators (19-18-9) this month. However, he has one point in five games since. Teammate Tyler Seguin is among the NHL goal leaders with 28, but has one in his last 17 games versus Ottawa. Senators winger Alex Chiasson, who was part of the Spezza trade, had an assist in the first meeting with the Stars. Ryan had two of his 21 assists in that game and recorded the same amount in a 4-3 home victory last Wednesday in Ottawas most recent contest. Robin Lehner will start in net for the Senators as Craig Anderson is out with a hand injury which he suffered on Jan. 21 against Toronto. On the outside of playoff position in the East, the Senators are trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 29-Jan. 3. They havent done so at home since Nov. 4-6. Theres no game (that isnt) important for us from here on out, Ryan said. Stars (49PTS) at Senators (47PTS) DAL is 1-0-0 vs OTT this season, winning at home DAL has won 6 straight vs OTT, 2 of the wins in OTT OTT (19-8-9): 4-2-1 past 7 home games, 25GF, 1/21 on PP Stone (2G, 6A) 7 game PT streak DAL (21-19-7): lost 2 straight, 3GF, 1/11 on PP Spezza (1G, 5A) 5 game PT streak Projected Senators Lines Michalek-Turris-Stone MarArthur-Zibanejad-Ryan Hoffman-Pageau-Chiasson Condra-Lazar-Neil. Methot-Karlsson Cowen-Ceci Phillips-Gryba Lehner Hammond Fjallraven Kanken Classic Graphite/Black Backpack . A police inspector told The Associated Press the crane operator is not yet suspected of any wrongdoing but is considered a key witness to the accident at the Arena Corinthians. Kanken Classic Backpack Sky Blue . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.cheapkankenbackpack.com/fjall...ck-16l.html.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to get back on track Monday night when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to Chesapeake Energy Arena. Cheap Kanken Backpacks For Sale . Nowitzki scored 28 points, Harris had a season-high 14 for the second straight game and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Detroit Pistons 116-106 Sunday night. Kanken Mini Backpack Graphite . Pistorius mindset when he stood on his stumps in a bathroom and pulled the trigger on his 9 mm pistol in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013 remains the crux of the South African trial that has captured worldwide attention and is about to start its seventh week of globally televised proceedings. It was initially scheduled to run for three weeks.SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Marty Havlat scored three goals for the first time in nearly nine years, and the San Jose Sharks prevented Colorado from clinching the Central Division title with a 5-1 victory over the Avalanche on Friday night. Dan Boyle and Patrick Marleau also scored, and Alex Stalock made 32 saves for the Sharks, who had lost four of six to fall short in their race for first place in the Pacific Division. Patrick Bordeleau scored the lone goal for the Avalanche, who lost for the first time in regulation since March 21 against Boston. Colorado had gone 8-0-1 in its last nine games to move into a tie for first with St. Louis. The Avalanche can win the division either by beating Anaheim on Sunday night in the regular-season finale or with a regulation loss by St. Louis earlier Sunday against Detroit. Colorado needs the Ducks to lose Saturday in Los Angeles to have a chance of finishing in the top spot in the Western Conference. San Jose is locked into the second seed in the Pacific Division and will open the playoffs at home next week against Los Angeles. The Sharks moved two points ahead of Chicago in the race for home-ice advantage in a possible conference final matchup. Despite the significant stakes in the game for Colorado, coach Patrick Roy opted to give third-string goalie Reto Berra his second start since joining the team last month. The move backfired quickly as Berra allowed two goals on the first five shots he faced and was replaced by Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Boyle opened the scoring with a well-placed shot from the faceoff circle just over 3 minutes into the game. Marleau ended Berras night 10:11 into the game with a slap shot from the slot for his 33rd goal.dddddddddddd. The Avalanche got on the board late in the second when Bracken Kearns failed to clear the puck from the defensive zone, leading to a 2-on-1 down low. Maxime Talbot slid a pass to Bordeleau, who shot a one-timer into the empty net. Colorado nearly tied it after killing a high-sticking penalty to P.A. Parenteau. But Stalock stopped Parenteau on a breakaway just after he left the penalty box. Havlat sealed the game with three goals in the third for his sixth career hat trick and first since Nov. 2, 2005, for Ottawa at Buffalo. Havlat scored on a deflection, a breakaway and then added an empty-net goal with 4:56 to play. The big performance came when he was reunited on a line with Marleau and Logan Couture and one game after he was a healthy scratch in a crucial loss at Anaheim that ended the Sharks chances at a division title. The game was also notable for the Sharks because rookie Tomas Hertl returned to the ice for the first time since a knee injury in December. Hertl got a loud ovation his first time on the ice, and he generated a few good scoring chances. Both teams also lost defencemen to injuries during the game with San Joses Scott Hannan not returning after being hit high by Bordeleau in the first period. Colorados Tyson Barrie was also hit high in the first by Jason Demers. Barrie stayed in the game for the rest of the period but didnt play after that because of an upper-body injury. NOTES: Parenteau (knee) returned to the lineup after missing 15 games. ... Sharks D Marc-Edouard Vlasic sat out to rest for the playoffs. ' ' '