Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.sports From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Turcotte's hot streak comes at good time Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 14:51:51 EST Message-ID: \SE D;SPORTS;HOCKEY;CAPS NOTES \HD Turcotte's hot streak comes at good time \BY David Elfin \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES \DT NEW YORK NEW YORK - It was just two weeks ago tonight that Darren Turcotte found himself out of the New York Rangers' lineup after going five games without a point. The 24-year-old center had five points in 10 games. With his contract heading to arbitration because of a $400,000 difference between his perceived value and how New York general manager Neil Smith sees it, Turcotte was mentioned in almost every trade rumor involving the Rangers. So Turcotte picked an interesting time to put together the hottest streak of his career. He had five goals and an assist in the five games prior to last night's game with the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden and scored two goals against the Caps. "Obviously, there have been a few things that have made me work harder," Turcotte told The New York Times. "I decided it was time I went out and proved my value to the team. What you do on the ice isn't going to stop what's going on off the ice. . . . Hopefully, it will make them think twice about moving me." The most frequently mentioned rumor has Turcotte heading to Edmonton in a package for Dave Manson, the hard-nosed defenseman whom the Caps signed to a four-year, $4.6 million offer sheet last summer, which the Oilers matched. NEILSON NEWS One contract Smith doesn't have to worry about is Roger Neilson's. No. 2 in coaching seniority with his current team, Neilson, who has been with the Rangers since October 1989, signed a three-year extension reportedly worth between $900,000 and $1 million. Neilson, 58, led the Rangers to the regular season Patrick Division title in 1989-90 and to the NHL's best record last season. Neilson, who previously coached Buffalo, Vancouver and Los Angeles, has a career record of 318-258-107 and is 131-92-33 with the Rangers. However, Neilson is in hot water again with New York captain Mark Messier, last season's Hart Trophy winner as the NHL's MVP. "I'm not sure what's going on, but we're shuffling guys in and out of the lineup and we're not playing well because we're not together as a team," Messier said after the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning shocked the Rangers 5-1 Monday at the Garden. "It's been coming for a long time. "Last season everybody knew their roles and accepted them. You have 24 guys this year and instead of having four players unhappy, we have 24 players unhappy. There are guys in and out of the lineup on any particular night for unforseen reasons. It's just not sitting well with anybody." Just 16 games into the season, Neilson has already scratched 10 of his 15 forwards - all except Messier, Mike Gartner, Tony Amonte, Adam Graves and Sergei Nemchinov - for reasons other than injury. Neilson, who said he and Smith would gladly try to trade any players who are unhappy with their ice time, acknowledged that players are wondering who will play every night and said, "Right now the chemistry is difficult." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM