Senators-Panthers: Dany Heatley Scores Twice, Sens End Skid

Dany Heatley made his return to the Senators lineup last night, lighting the lamp twice to help Ottawa end a three-game skid. The Sens beat the Florida Panthers 5-4.

The Heater, who potted his 26th and 27th goals, couldn't have come back at a better time.

With the Montreal Canadiens inching ever so close to the Sens' coveted first place spot in the East, Ottawa needed a boost from a player who has missed their last 11 games with a shoulder injury.

During those 11 games, the Sens went an abysmal 3-8 and showcased how thin their lineup is without the back-to-back 50 goal scorer.

Let's not forget about the absence of captain Daniel Alfredsson. Without their feisty leader, the boys from O-Town have lost their double-digit lead in the conference, making it clear that if this team is going to go deep in the postseason like last year, they will need Alfie and the other top guns to be healthy and firing on all cylinders.

There was some good news out of Montreal last night, as the Maple Leafs downed the surging Habs 4-2. The Senators' lead is now back to three points, with what should be a fiery tilt against Montreal at Scotiabank Place on Saturday's Hockey Day in Canada.

There's a feeling around the nation's capital that another top-six forward needs to be brought in to plug some holes up front. If Peter Forsberg becomes unavailable, Patrick Marleau might be another option. The San Jose Sharks are looking for an offensive defenceman, and Joe Corvo could be the right fit.

If Wade Redden didn't have a no-trade clause in his ridiculous $6.5 million contract, he'd be out the door for the nearest bag of pucks. The same thing could be said about his defence partner Andrej Meszaros. Unfortunately nobody wants him.