European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 6, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 0 the stars and stripes Neilson fired by wednesday january. 6,1993by John Kreiser new Yor Cap a Mark Messier a five Stanley cup rings turned out to be More important to the new York ran Gers than coach Roger Neilson a new three year contract. Less than two months after signing Neil son to a new Deal the rangers fired him on monday and named Ron Smith coach of their top farm team As his successor at least through the end of the and Neilson have been at Odds since last Spring when Messier criticized Neilson a strategy in a second round playoff loss to Pittsburgh. The two have not seen Eye to Eye for most of the season with Neilson pushing a defensive oriented style and Messier seeking to play a More wide open game. The result has been a team that bears Little resemblance to the one that won the president s trophy As the Overall Points Leader last season. A we got into a situation where As unfortunate As it May have been changes needed to be made a Messier said after a. 3-3 tie with new Jersey monday night in Smith s debut. A a a a i say that from having been successful five times and having known what it takes to be successful Ana what direction you need to get to that level. I done to Feci we were getting to the level that we needed to be Neilson who was demoted to soul Laid much of the blame for the rangers two month slump on Messier who was acquired from Edmonton Early last sea Soa in a move general manager Neil Smith hoped would finally end a Stanley cup drought that dates to 1940. A the just did no to Lead us a Neilson said. A last year he was on top of All the Little things. He was leading meetings and noticing things. This year he just did no to get it shortly after Neilson was fired the nil announced that he and former Ranger tie Domi had been suspended for two Days and fined $500 As a result of a premeditated fight with Detroit s Bob Probert on dec. 2,1992. Both suspensions but not the fines will be rescinded if there is no involvement in any premeditated fighting the rest of this season and playoffs or Public criticism of the no la a policy Toronto s Grant Fuhr makes diving save of shot by Detroit s Ray Sheppard As Leafs Sylvain Lefebvre left sweeps puck away from net map by the associated press Sacramento Calif. A despite a less than spectacular recent Streak a three goal third period moved the Montreal into familiar ground. Mathieu Schneider and Vincent Damp Housse each had a goal and an assist to help the canadians move ahead of the Idle Quebec Nordques into first place in the Adams division with a 4-1 Victory monday night Over the san Jose Sharks at Arco Arena. Montreal which has won just twice in the last seven games improved its record to. 4-0-1 against san Jose since the Sharks joined the nil last season. The Ca Nadies out shot san Jose 36-18 in the opener of Back to Back games Between the teams which were to play again tuesday night at the cow Palace. But the outcome provided a source of bitterness for san Jose. A a in a not Happy about it a said shark goalie Jeff Hackett who suffered a Gash on his forehead at the end of the second period. A a they re not than much better of a team than we Are. 1 realize you have to earn your Way in the nil but this is sickening. When people done to expect you to you re just not going to get the Calls a Damphousse Montreal a leading goal nil scorer tied the game 1-1 at 16 09 of the second period with his 22nd of the season. With the score tied 1-1 after two periods Schneider scored the game Winner with his 12th goal of the season after mane vering behind the san Jose net and scoring from near the right Post at 7 59. Stephan Lebeau and Kirk Muller also added third period goals for the Ca Nadies. A we played Well for the first eight minutes a a a said san Jose coach George Kingston. A but after that it was like the san Jose was called for five holding pc valites and one for hooking. However it took a 1-0 Lead on de Senseman Neil Wilkinson a first goal of the season a shorthanded score at 17 40 of the first period. In other games monday night rangers 3, devils 3 new York a Alexei Kovaleva a goal Early in the third period gave new York a come from behind tie with new Ron Smiths debut As coach. Smith who had been running the rangers top farm team got his first Chance to coach in the nil earlier in the Day when Roger Neilson was fired. The rangers who trailed 3-1 before Tony Amonte scored late in the second period tied it on a Power play at 5 56 of the third. Maple Leafs 4, red wings 2 Detroit Todd Gill had a goal and two assists and Grant Fuhr made 28 saves As Toronto beat Detroit. Toronto is unbeaten in its last five games 3-0-2while the red wings lost for just the second time in 10 games 6-2-2. Ray Sheppard made it 3-2, but with Only 16.2 seconds left Mark Osborne scored into an empty 7t lightning 0 Vancouver British Columbia a Pavel Bure scored twice to give him 34 goals in 38 games As Vancouver beat Tampa Bay. Risk Mclean recorded his second straight shutout and third of the season by stopping 27 shots. Rookie Dixon Ward also scored twice for the canucks. Robert Dirk Greg Adams and Jim Sandlak added goals for Vancouver. Adams also had two assists. The canucks stretched their unbeaten Streak to eight games 7=9-1. Cleared to Start comeback tonight Liy John Nadel Inglewood Calif. A the great one is coming Back and none too soon for the slumping los Angeles Kings. Wayne Gretzky the no la a Jill time leading scorer has been cleared by team doctors to play and will see his first action this season wednesday night when the Kings face the Tampa Bay lightning at the forum it was announced monday. Because of a herniated thoracic disk Gretzky Hasni to played since the Kings were eliminated from the playoffs by the Edmonton oilers last april. Kings Wayne Gretzky. Out since�?T92 playotes the problem surfaced shortly before the current season began and it was announced at a news conference sept. 22 that Gretzky would be sidelined indefinitely. At that time doctors even speculate when Gretzky might return and neither would Gretzky. Gretzky 31, began skating on dec. 7 and first practice with the Kings on dec. 26. "1 think the plan is in a going to play wednesday and Friday at Winnipeg and take one game off sunday at Chicago a Gretzky said at a news Confer Kitce. A after that it should be full flight. A a in a obviously pretty excited. Yesterday i went through some tests to see if i was in physical condition to play hockey the tests were or. Robert Watkins of the Kerlan Jobe orthopaedic clinic said Gretzky is in excellent Overall physical condition. Wayne has shown excellent Progress m an aggressive non operative rehabilitative program a Watkins said. A this Type of condition is so unusual. Its just quite pleasing he a grown the excellent Proe Ress he has. B doing the same Type of rehabilitative program Watkins said Gretzky would Wear Stan Dard. Hockey Type preventive equipment. A is there a risk he could get Hurt again sure there a a risk a Watkins said. Gretzky said he Wasny to concerned about that. A if you play apprehensive that a when you get Hurt a he said. A a we be scrimmage a Little bit in practice. There a been some Contact. I have been taking some hits. In a going to take a lot of hits wednesday night. Ill be Fine. A i just feel like in a physically ready to play i Here a no reason to wait around. I he three months did no to play i realized How much i enjoy the Kings got off to a great Start without Gretzky going 19-7-2 in their first 28 games to take a seven Point Lead in the hrs the division. However they be slumped badly in their last 11 games going 1-7-3 to fall to 20-14-5 and into third place in the division behind Calgary and Vancouver. A a a
