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.
