Puck Daddy - NHL

No. 1 star: Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators

The talented left wing has set out this season to prove he's more than just a goal-scorer, but Heatley also is proving he still has a nose for the net. Heatley scored a pair of power-play goals – the first and second scores for Ottawa Sunday during a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins – to cap a two-game set in Stockholm with three goals and three points in the standings for his team. Heatley broke a scoreless tie 13:07 into the second period on Sunday with the first of his two goals. His second came at 12:17 of the third period. Heatley has so impressed the new Ottawa coaching staff with his dedication to become a complete player that he was awarded with the designation as an alternate captain. The Senators were lacking leadership last season, and Heatley hopes to add that to his game. Heatley, 27, has scored 144 goals in the three seasons and two games since the end of the NHL lockout. Besides his two goals on Sunday, Heatley had three shots on goal, four others that missed the net, a pair of blocked shots and a hit during 21:58 of ice time.

No. 2 star: Wade Redden, New York Rangers

After having spent the first 11 years of a fine career with the Ottawa Senators, the one thing Redden wanted to do was make a solid first impression with his new team, the Rangers. Consider that accomplished. Redden, 31, followed a solid debut on Saturday by scoring a goal and adding an assist on Sunday as New York recorded its second 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in as many days in Prague. Redden scored his 102nd career goal in his 840th career game 3:47 into the second period to tie the game at 1-1. He was credited with the second assist on New York's winning goal – Scott Gomez's first that came 12:12 in the same period. Sure to be among New York's leaders in average ice time, Redden contributed two shots, two blocks and was a plus-1 during 21:08 of skating.

No. 3 star: Alex Auld, Ottawa Senators

The 27-year-old offseason pickup has been a backup for most of his career. But with more games like Sunday's – a win against a high-powered Pittsburgh team – Auld could push starter Martin Gerber before long. Auld helped to thwart the first six Penguins' power plays while making his debut with Ottawa a winning one. He came within two ticks on the clock of posting a shutout, surrendering only a power-play goal at 19:58 of the third period, the final of Pittsburgh's 31 shots.

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15 Comments

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  1. Tacks
    1. Posted by Tacks Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:51 pm EDT

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    Auld is underrated. He made some sick saves last season in Boston.
  2. DP43
    2. Posted by DP43 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:20 pm EDT

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    He was fantastic in Vancouver and would still be here if it weren't for the idiocy of Mike Keenan that allowed us to get Roberto Luongo, who is obviously one of a kind.
  3. big audio
    3. Posted by big audio Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:04 pm EDT

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    Overlooked as usual was 2 fine games by Henrik Lundquist, without whom the Rangers don't beat anyone. Maybe if he flopped more, he'd get more attention ...... [/blatant shot at Flopsie Brodeur]
  4. Abandoned Dump
    4. Posted by Abandoned Dump Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:54 pm EDT

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    Dany celebrates the 5-year anniversary of killing a guy by scoring two goals!
  5. Abandoned Dump
    5. Posted by Abandoned Dump Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:54 pm EDT

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    well, technically it's just the anniversary of dan synder's death. heatley killed him six days before.
    rip dan.
    rot in heII, dany.
  6. kenm111
    6. Posted by kenm111 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    let it go puck head
    no reason for jealousy
    go cry on dans tombstone, man up and stop being a bitc h then get ready for the hockey season
    once you complete all these steps let us know and maybe someone will take you seriously
    RIP peguins season 09 woooooooooooooooooooo
  7. Haggard Nick
    7. Posted by Haggard Nick Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:48 pm EDT

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    ^^Ted V.
    Lundqvist wasn't that great. The Rangers looked good but that had a lot to do with Tampa playing 2 really bad periods. We'll need Lundqvist to look a lot better than he did when we see some teams that show up for all 3 periods.
  8. Abandoned Dump
    8. Posted by Abandoned Dump Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:54 pm EDT

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    kenm111,
    He killed someone and still gets to play hockey and make millions of dollars. He should be rotting in jail.
    It's just a shame you weren't in the car with them.
  9. SNOWDOG
    9. Posted by SNOWDOG Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:30 pm EDT

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    Auld folds bigtime once he gives up a goal. Why do you think hes moved around the league like he has.
    Puck Head - your ignorant! Do you really think he wanted to spend 3 ms in the hospital and kill his buddy. You must be one sick freako to think that he intentionally killed his best friend - you might want to consider a psychologist as your hidden tendencies are obviously coming out. Puck Heads Friends BEWARE!!
    I don't like Heately - hate the team he plays for but we all have gone on joy rides his just happened to be in a ride that he couldnt control. It was an accident - nothing more.
  10. Drew M
    10. Posted by Drew M Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

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    Focus on the players on-ice stuff, and less on their off ice. You could hate your favourite player if you ever met him in real life, but that has no effect on how they play on the ice. Regardless of what you say or think about Heatley's personal life, he's a top 5 player in the league. You might like dogs, but Michael Vick will still be the best rushing QB in the league. Nobodies perfect, get over it.
    Nevertheless, Heatley definitely didn't think to himself "I'm going to crash this car and kill my good friend, leaving me alive to tell the tale..." Ignorant..
  11. averardi
    11. Posted by averardi Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:58 pm EDT

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    Just the beginning of a 60-goal season for Heatley.
    And Puck Head, you state in your profile that you are openly gay??
  12. Smallie
    12. Posted by Smallie Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:37 pm EDT

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    for real puck head you should change your name to f**k head. who honestly posts a comment like that towards a sports game. i vote you out of the gene pool
  13. Tuo
    13. Posted by Tuo Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:27 pm EDT

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    Not that I'm supporting Puck Head's comments necessarily, but the man is entitled to his opinions, even they aren't related to on-ice matters. There's no denying that the Snyder situation will be one his legacies. You reap what you sow.
    And really, what does it matter if PH or anyone else is gay?
    Anyway, Heatley has been a dynamite player since the lockout, one of the leagues best. Its a good thing that he got out of Atlanta when he did. Aside from Kovalchuk, he wouldn't have had the support to put up the kind of numbers he has. You can say its always the guys around him, but one player can only do so much by themselves out there.
  14. Tuo
    14. Posted by Tuo Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:27 pm EDT

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    Forgot to mention (cursed non-editing comments) that Puck Head probably crossed the boundary with that comment here, but we don't really need multiple people posting the same point.
  15. MONKEY MAN
    15. Posted by MONKEY MAN Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Good thing the Rangers picked up Redden. They're going to suck this year bigtime.
    Chris Drury should've hung up his skates long ago. His best days were in Buffalo, and as usual the Rangers are overpaying for a has-been.

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