Lightning narrowing its search for an assistant

Former Flyers coach Roger Neilson is believed to be in the running for the position.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 9, 2000

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Lightning is working off a short list with some impressive names in its search for an assistant coach.

Flyers assistant Wayne Cashman was in Tampa Wednesday for an interview, and Lightning coach Steve Ludzik mentioned Rangers assistant John Tortorella.

A third candidate is believed to be former Flyers coach Roger Neilson, who is in the running to coach the Flames, and has inquired about jobs with the expansion Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets.

He told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday that he "got a phone call from another NHL club, and while it wasn't a head-coaching position, it was a very interesting job."

Lightning assistant general manager Jay Feaster would not comment on Neilson, who left the Flyers in February to undergo cancer treatments and lost his job to interim coach Craig Ramsay. He also would not comment on Tortorella.

"At this point in time the Lightning has spoken only with Wayne Cashman," Feaster said. "(General manager) Rick Dudley has a short list of candidates. However, Rick will comply with all of the requirements of the NHL in terms of when and how he contacts the people based on contacting the teams first."

Neilson, 65, couldn't be reached for comment, but Ludzik said, "I know we'd be interested. We'd be crazy not to be."

"It's inappropriate for Steve to be saying it," Feaster said. "It's important to me to note that the club has been doing the right things and continues to do the right things."

Cashman, 54, a Lightning assistant for the team's first four seasons under Terry Crisp, characterized his discussion with Dudley as "casual," though he said handling special teams is appealing.

"It's something I specialize in," he said. "I know the league and the players. I know what it takes to win. It's a job I can do very well."

Tortorella, 42, was a Sabres assistant while Dudley was coach and Ludzik a player. Ludzik said Tortorella taught at his hockey school and the two are scheduled to lecture at a clinic this month.

Anxious Devil

Devils left wing John Madden said he woke up at 7 Thursday morning, anxious about the game.

"I haven't been up at 7 a.m. since my son was born," he said. "It's a weird feeling with the little sleep I've been getting that I feel as well as I do."

Devils coach Larry Robinson, who won six Cups as a defenseman with the Canadiens, said it goes with the territory.

"I told them, "If you are nervous, then you should be. If you are scared, then you should be,' " he said. "If you have never been nervous or scared, you have never been in the playoffs.

"It is not a fear as we know it. It is not a fear of dying or a fear of falling off a bridge. It is a different kind of feeling you get, knowing that it is so close, but knowing it is again so far away."

STYMIED: Going into Thursday night, the Devils had held Stars center Mike Modano, second in the playoffs in goals (9) and points (21), to no goals and two assists.

"He just tweaked certain things up front," Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko said of Robinson. "Not as much swinging, more positional, a third guy high, more backchecking."

LANGENBRUNNER OUT: The Stars were without Jamie Langenbrunner, who aggravated the sprained knee that kept him out of Games 1-3. With Dallas desperate to find some scoring punch, the right wing played Game 4, but had no shots on goal and was a minus-2. He did not skate Thursday. ODDS AND ENDS: A Devils victory would make Robinson the second coach hired during the season to win a Cup since the best-of-seven format was adopted in 1939. The first was Al MacNeil with the 1970-71 Canadiens. ... The Stars had been behind 3-1 in eight previous playoff series and never won.

BIRTHDAY BOY: Modano's 30th birthday spanned half the country Wednesday. The Stars center was surprised at practice in Dallas when he was summoned to a meeting on the ice and presented with a strawberry pie in the face.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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