European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Nuggets a Westhead Westphal to run suns Phoenix a Cotton fit Zimmons is stepping Down As head coach of the Phoenix suns effective with the end of the Aba playoffs and will be succeeded by assistant Paul Westphal. Starting july 1, Fitzsimmons will go Back to being director of player personnel on a full time basis. In two stints As suns head coach Fitzsimmons compiled a 314-178 record the Best of any of the seven coaches in the teams 24-year history. He was coach from 1970-72 and returned in 1988. The announcement by Sun president Jerry Colangelo came As the suns were about open their first round playoff against the san Antonio spurs. Denver a Paul Westhead was fired thursday As coach of the Denver nuggets after two seasons in which his team won Only 44 games. The nuggets lost 120 games in West Heads two years and the Overall 44-120 Mark was the worst record of any coach during the last two years. Westhead had one year remaining on a three year contract that paid him $250,000 annually. A we feel it was imperative we move in a different direction a Nugget general manager Bernie Bickerstaff said at a news conference. A Paul came in a very difficult situation. He has Laid a foundation and we Are appreciative of Paul a contribution and wish him the very  Bickerstaff said no decision has been made on selecting a new coach. A a in a going to take three Days off to collect my thoughts and return on monday a Bickerstaff said. A a in a like to have someone in place by the time of the draft but that timetable wont Force my  Westhead was fired by Bickerstaff during a meeting wednesday. Following that meeting Westhead avoided reporters and flew to los Angeles in the afternoon. He and his wife Cassie were scheduled to leave today for a vacation in Mexico. Westhead a dismissal will be another addition to the nuggets already hefty nonworking payroll that includes former coach Doug Moe and former club presidents Vince Boryla Carl Scheer and Pete Babcock. Nuggets president Tim Leiweke on wednesday said the decision to fire Westhead was up to Bickerstaff. A whatever Bickerstaff decides is Fine by me. I Trust Bernie totally. Its up to him to make the decision. In a very comfortable his decision will be the Best decision for the organization a Leiweke said. At tuesday nights team season ending banquet a reporter asked Westhead if he was being made a Scapegoat for the clubs problems losing games and losing ticket sales. A a in be done a competent professional Job with a team that we All knew Wasny to going to win games. That is certainly not from my Vantage Point meant As a criticism. Its meant As a reality a Westhead said. The nuggets attendance was near the Bottom in the Aba again this season and some speculate the club will have trouble Selling tickets if Westhead were to remain. The stars and Stripe sports april 24,1992 Page 28inside sports Galaxy in hands of Espinoza a Page 22 Steeles covet Klingler Page 22 orioles keep royals in a spin a Page 26 Becker still futile on Clay a Page 27blues top Hawks in 2 ots nil playoffs by the associated press St. Louis a Brett Hull scored on a slap shot at 3 33 of the second overtime As the St. Louis blues beat the Chicago Blackhawk 5-4 to take a 2-1 Lead in their first round playoff series wednesday nights. Hull took a drop pass from Bob Bassen in the Slot and ripped a 20-footer Between Dominik Haseke a pads for his second goal of the playoffs. Hull led the nil with 70 goals in the regular season. The blues Are 6-1 in double overtime in the franchises history having beaten Chicago 5-4 in the last double overtime game in 1989. Game 4 is Friday night in St. Louis. The Blackhawk out shot the blues 9-7 in the first overtime but St. Louis had the Best scoring chances. Hasek stopped a Hull breakaway with about 4 30 left in the first overtime and on two chances during a three shot flurry. St. Louis Stephane quintal also hit the goalpost Midway through the period. Garth Butcher had tied the score for St. Louis with 6 57 left in regulation on a shot that hasek could Only get a piece of. Hull set up the play with his third assist of the game. The blues led 2-0 Midway through the first period but Blackhawk coach Mike Keenan woke up his team with four goalie changes and a timeout resulting in four unanswered goals. Keenan gave hasek his first career playoff Start in goal but also used de Belfour in two Short stints totalling 1 37. Nelson Emerson got the games first two goals on Power plays for the blues before the Blackhawk roared Back in an action packed first period that also featured four Power play goals. Jeremy Roenick started Chicago a comeback when he scored his first goal of the playoffs from the left Side of the net at 12 42, with seven seconds left in a two Man advantage. Despite getting his first goal of the blues Phillipe Bozon tries to wedge past Black Hawks Chris Chelios on wednesday. Playoffs Roenick still has not scored a goal in an even strength situation since March 5. He had four Power play goals in the last 14 regular season games. In other Campbell conference playoff games wednesday red wings 5, North stars 4, of Bloomington Minn. Yves Racine a unassisted goal 1 15 into overtime capped a three goal rally wednesday night lifting Detroit to a 5-4 Victory Over the Minnesota North stars and giving the red wings a realistic Chance to Advance in the nil playoffs. Detroit which lost the first two games of the Best-of-7 series at Home can pull even by winning game 4 Friday night at met Center. The Victory was crucial Only two teams have rebounded from three game deficits. Ray Sheppard a Power play goal with 3 32 left in regulation sent the game into overtime and backup goalie Vince Rien Deau stopped All 11 shots he faced for the red wings who finally beat a Minnesota team that finished 28 Points behind them in the regular season  4, Kings 3 Edmonton Alberta a Bernie Nicholls scored his second Power play goal of the game with 7 23 remaining to give the Edmonton oilers a 4-3 win Over the los Angeles Kings on wednesday night and a 2-1 Lead in their smythe division playoff series. Nicholls a former King set an Oiler club record with his fourth Power play goal of the series when he beat Kelly Hrudney on his second attempt after fanning on the first. Game 4 in the Best-of-7 series is scheduled for Friday in Edmonton. Joe Murphy had tied the game 3-3 Early in the third period As the oilers went 3 for 7 on the Power play. Dave Manson and Petr Klima each hit goal posts As Edmonton pressed for the Winner before Nicholls  4, canucks 2 Winnipeg Manitoba the Winnipeg jets built a four goal Lead and threw a defensive Blanket Over Vancouver As they beat the favored canucks 4-2 wednesday night to take a 2-1 Lead in their smythe division semifinal series. Randy Carlyle Pat a Lynnik Lucien Deblois and Thomas Steen scored for the jets who finished 15 Points behind the front running canucks during the regular season. Only solid work by canucks goalie Kirk Mclean who made 33 saves kept the score respectable. Robert Kron and Jim Sandlak scored for Vancouver in the third period after the jets had built a 4-0 Lead to break a shutout bid by Rick Tabaracci who blocked 24  Stop bucs a see Page 26