Heatley's goal, assist boost Ottawa to 3-1 lead over Devils

Dany Heatley set up Daniel Alfredsson's goal, then scored his own unassisted, leading the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 win over the visiting New Jersey Devils last night, taking a 3-1 edge in their Stanley Cup quarterfinal playoff series.

Heatley took a shot from the right boards that struck Martin Brodeur's right skate and went between the goalie's pads late in the second period to give Ottawa a 2-1 edge. He also helped Alfredsson open the scoring 4 minutes, 34 seconds into the game with a centering pass from behind the net.

Mike Fisher added Ottawa's third goal in the third period, and Ray Emery stopped 29 shots but had his home shutout streak ended at 153:33 on a second-period goal by Brian Gionta. Jay Pandolfo also scored for New Jersey.

In another game:

* At San Jose, Mathieu Schneider's power-play goal with less than 4 minutes left in the first overtime lifted Detroit over the Sharks, 3-2, and evened the Western Conference series at 2-2.

* Shane Doan offered to step down as Canada's captain at the world championships in Russia after Quebec politicians raised concerns about an alleged ethnic remark he made toward a French-Canadian official during a 2005 NHL game.

There was more attention on Doan than Canada's 5-4 victory over Slovakia yesterday after Hockey Canada officials agreed to appear before a parliamentary committee in Ottawa.

"I'm embarrassed that there's all this attention about it," Doan said. "I never said anything so I don't understand why it keeps getting a life of its own.

"I said to Hockey Canada I'd support any decision they made. I obviously don't want to cause a distraction."

Doan was accused of uttering an ethnic slur in December 2005 during an NHL game between his Phoenix Coyotes and the Montreal Canadiens.

Doan told the Canadian Press he was trying to calm down goalie Curtis Joseph when linesmen Michel Cormier thought he heard the Phoenix captain utter a slur against Francophones. As Joseph hovered around center ice, Doan said he skated over to him and yelled: "Four French referees in Montreal, Cuje, figure it out."

All four officials at that game were French-Canadian. *