"The Senators needed a lift during a difficult week, so Jason Spezza took matters into his own hands to help bring up the spirits during an afternoon off in St. Louis.

Anybody still questioning the ability or desire of the 27-year-old Spezza to be a leader for this franchise — and there are plenty of doubters — can close the book on that.

The day after the Senators attended the memorial service for assistant coach Luke Richardson's daughter Daron, Spezza felt his teammates needed a break.

So instead of having everybody head their separate ways, Spezza organized a trip to a St. Louis bowling alley the day before Ottawa closed out its four-game road trip with a game against the Blues.

"It's been a terrible week," Spezza said Thursday. "It should be fun to go bowling."

Stepping up like that isn't something the old Spezza would have done. It's become obvious that Spezza is maturing.

And with his maturity has come leadership.

Spezza has easily been one Ottawa's best players so far this season — something that looked like wouldn't happen after a tumultuous off-season.

It wasn't an easy summer for the club's top pick from 2001. He was surrounded by trade rumours until those were put to rest July 1, he had his commitment called into question and he was heavily criticized.

But as the Senators hit the quarter-pole of the 2010-11 NHL season, all of that has been forgotten. After a difficult start because of a groin injury he tried to play through, Spezza is healthy, happy and contributing.

Spezza, who has found chemistry on a line with Peter Regin and Alex Kovalev, has five goals and eight assists in 15 games this season. "