Spezza top star for December

Jan 3, 2008 - 6:16 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza was nearly impossible to keep off the scoresheet last month. His accomplishments did not go unnoticed.

Spezza, who leads all players in scoring with 25 points in December, on Wednesday was named the NHL's "First Star" of the month.

Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings received "Second Star" honors, while San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was dubbed the month's "Third Star."

Spezza recorded a point in 13 of the 14 games in which he played in December, including nine multi-point performances. The 24-year-old center - who also posted a plus-14 rating - put together a 10-game points streak from December 12-29, notching 20 points during the run.

With 49 points on the season, Spezza ranks third on the Senators and 10th overall in the league in scoring.

Datsyuk fell three points shy of Spezza's mark last month, registering seven goals and 15 assists in 15 games. The 29-year-old Russian failed to record a point just three times while finishing the month with a plus-11 rating.

Third on the Red Wings and ninth in the NHL with 49 points, Datsyuk recorded five three-point efforts in December, including three three-assist performances.

Nabokov appeared in 15 games last month, going 10-4-1 with a pair of shutouts, a 1.96 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. The 32-year-old native of Kazakhstan allowed two goals or fewer in 11 contests.

The only netminder to start each of his team's games this season, Nabokov has posted a league-best 22 victories and ranks third in GAA (1.99) and shutouts (five).