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Spezza, Emery lead Senators past Red Wings

Dec 13, 2006 - 3:14 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- After a slow first period, Jason Spezza and the Ottawa Senators took control.

Spezza scored two goals and Ray Emery made 43 saves as the Senators snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings.

Looking to extend his points streak to 10 games, Spezza opened the scoring in the second period with his 16th goal of the season on a breakaway with a backhander over goaltender Dominik Hasek.

"I just made a wrong decision," Hasek said. "I thought he didn't have control of the puck and tried to poke check it. He made one more move. I have to admit, I made a mistake."

After Chris Neil netted his ninth tally, Spezza registered a power-play goal as he charged to the net and beat Hasek past his right pad.

"You have to try and kind of force him to make the first move and that's what I did on both those goals," Spezza said.

Ottawa recorded only three shots in the first period but exploded for 14 shots in the second, during which all the scoring took place.

"We definitely turned the puck over too many times in the neutral zone," Red Wings right Dan Cleary said. "And against a team like Ottawa with Spezza and Heatley, you can't give them opportunity after opportunity. Spezza burned us on two."

Detroit's Robert Lang scored midway through the session and Pavel Datsyuk tallied a power-play goal to draw the Red Wings within one, but Emery was solid in net down the stretch.

"He was the dominant player. There's no question," Senators coach Bryan Murray said. "You talk about matchups and all the headlines (will say) Ray stepped up to the plate and played outstanding."

Emery made his first start of the campaign against Hasek, a six-time Vezina Trophy winner who played 42 games with Ottawa last season before signing with Detroit in the offseason.

"I felt pretty good in net tonight," Emery said. "It's a special game playing against (Hasek), because of the legendary goalie he is and being buddy of mine, a guy I've learned a lot from. It was special to play him."

Hasek stopped 19 shots for Detroit, which was 1-for-3 on the power play.