THE NHL / HELENE ELLIOTT : Growing Pains for U.S. Team

Fatigue has chiseled raspy edges into Tim Taylor’s voice, and frustration has momentarily dampened his outlook.

A good night’s sleep and a good practice will cure both. But as the U.S. Olympic hockey coach guides his team toward the Lillehammer Games in February, he is finding that progress comes slowly and never easily.

“It’s a learning experience as we work with what has turned out to be a very young squad,” said Taylor, Yale’s coach for 17 years and an assistant to Lou Vairo at the 1984 Olympics. “My perspective as a coach is that we do some things that bring the coaches’ spirits up, and then we’ll do some things that start to concern us. I don’t mind if we make mistakes, but when we make them repeatedly, I don’t like to see that.”

After a five-game stretch against NHL and International Hockey League teams, Team USA is 10-8-2. The next segment of the schedule is more forgiving. Beginning Wednesday, Taylor’s team will play at Boston College, Boston University and the University of Maine before again facing NHL opponents.

“For the most part of the tour, we’ve been doing what we expected to do,” Taylor said. “We’re ironing out the wrinkles in some areas where we’ve been floundering.”

One key area is undisciplined play. That was exemplified last Tuesday when top scorer Peter Ferraro was ejected for deliberate attempt to injure, giving Peoria a power play that resulted in a game-tying goal.

“We sometimes get forced out of our game,” Taylor said. “What we have to do is dictate how we want to play and not stand around and let the opponent dictate it. We also have a low tolerance on the frustration front, and at times, that will neutralize the advantages we have.”

Even so, Taylor has reason for optimism. Having regained players who were at NHL training camps, he has a near-full squad and can now focus on tactics. He’s also looking forward to an infusion of scoring punch in January, when center Ted Drury takes a leave from the Calgary Flames to rejoin Team USA.

“We’re in great physical condition,” Taylor said. “We’re able to play at a high tempo for an entire game, a pretty darn good tempo considering it’s early October. Obviously, it’s nice to win, and nothing makes a team pull together and blend together like success, but there are an awful lot of perspectives teams are judged by. If we improve and master some things, I’ll interpret that as success.”

BOWMAN BLUES

It didn’t take long for the Detroit Red Wings to take a disliking to new Coach Scotty Bowman.

Winger Shawn Burr requested a trade after Bowman benched him in the first two games, and goalie Vincent Riendeau followed Burr to General Manager Bryan Murray’s office after being relegated to a backup role Friday.

“I’ve heard he’s a master of playing with players’ minds,” Burr--who had 10 goals in 80 games last season--told the Detroit Free Press. “I just want to work hard and play. I don’t need anybody to pull my strings. . . . I’ll do anything to help this team win except sit and watch.”

So far, Murray is backing Bowman.

“I’ve read some stuff that said (in the past) we’ve handled our players with kid gloves, that it’s been a country club for too long and that things are going to have to change if we’re going to be successful,” Murray said.

WHAT DRESS CODE?

A provision in Alexandre Daigle’s five-year, $12.25-million contract gives the Ottawa Senators control of his off-ice income. Now, they want to control exactly how he earns it.

An advertisement for Score hockey cards pictures Daigle in the uniforms of six professions and is captioned, “To see No. 1 pick Alexandre Daigle in his NHL uniform, you gotta buy Score.” He’s a fireman, a Mountie, a mail carrier, a mechanic, a matador and a nurse, complete with white dress and white hose.

The nurse pose reportedly infuriated Senator players and General Manager Randy Sexton. “That will never happen again,” Sexton said.

Was it his contract that made Daigle’s teammates jealous--or his legs?

OLD YELLER

Al Arbour, who has coached more NHL games than anyone else in history, is also the NHL’s oldest active coach.

“And some mornings, I feel it,” said Arbour, who will be 61 Nov. 1.

The New York Islanders’ 1-2 start might have added some gray hair, but Arbour remains young at heart in his 19th season behind the bench. He’s actually in his second term. He coached them from 1973 to 1986 and won four consecutive Stanley Cups (1980-83) before moving into the front office. He returned to coaching after Terry Simpson was fired during the 1988-89 season.

“I came back as an interim, and I find myself still coaching,” he said.

There was doubt he would be coaching this season, but the Islanders’ upset of Pittsburgh in the Patrick Division finals last spring rekindled his passion.

“It’s the kids and the enthusiasm of the guys that keeps me going,” said Arbour, who will coach his 1,526th game tonight, against the Kings. “It’s a challenge to me.”

MAKING FRIENDS

General Manager Phil Esposito of the Tampa Bay Lightning says he’s merely building a rivalry when he calls the Florida Panthers the Pussycats. Tampa Bay Coach Terry Crisp calls the Panthers the Kittycats. Florida General Manager Bob Clarke, furious after Esposito kissed him on the cheek during a TV interview, calls Esposito a fool.

How about calling an end to this sophomoric nonsense? The NHL, still striving for credibility, doesn’t need it.

Although Esposito might claim his antics contributed to the NHL-record crowd of 27,227 at the St. Petersburg ThunderDome Saturday for the teams’ first encounter, it’s more likely the fans were attracted by the novelty of a new sport and a new arena. Let’s hope so, anyway.