Cancer Treatment Sidelines Neilson

His voice shaky but still delivering punch lines, Philadelphia Flyer Coach Roger Neilson announced Saturday night he will leave the team for the rest of the regular season to undergo cancer treatment.

Neilson will begin scheduled, aggressive treatment Monday for multiple myeloma, a rare form of bone marrow cancer he was diagnosed with Dec. 9. Assistant Craig Ramsay will take over as coach, with help from assistant Wayne Cashman and minor-league coach Mike Stothers.

“Starting right now, Rammer and Cash are the coaches,” Neilson said after the Flyers gave him a victorious send-off with a 4-2 victory over the Washington Capitals at Philadelphia.

Neilson told his team in what he described as a minute-long meeting following the morning skate. He is not expected to return until at least mid-April, or after the first round of the playoffs.

“Mark Recchi said, ‘Let’s go out there and win this game for Roger. It’s his last game for a long time,’ ” goaltender Brian Boucher said. “I think we were inspired by that.”

Neilson’s doctor, Isadore Brodsky, remained upbeat that the treatment will work. But the doctor acknowledged after Neilson’s news conference that there’s a chance the coach won’t be able to return at all this season.

“Yes, there’s that possibility,” Brodsky said. “He knows that. He’ll listen to what we tell him to do. We’re not going to jeopardize his life.”

Neilson, 65, joked that he did not instruct his team that it had better still be playing when he returns. He has joked since being diagnosed with the incurable disease that maybe it would be best if he weren’t around for the first round, where the Flyers have lost the last two seasons.

Calgary 3, Edmonton 2--Marc Savard’s second goal, a deflection 35 seconds into overtime at Edmonton, gave the Flames their NHL-record 11th overtime victory.

N.Y. Islanders 4, New Jersey 2--Dave Scatchard scored two goals at East Rutherford, N.J., to help the Islanders end the Devils’ seven-game unbeaten streak.

Vancouver 3, Ottawa 1--Markus Naslund and Donald Brashear scored power-play goals for the Canucks at Kanata, Canada.

Mark Messier’s assist on Naslund’s first-period goal was the 2,000th point of his professional career, including the NHL playoffs and a brief stint in the defunct World Hockey Assn.

Montreal 2, Toronto 1--Oleg Petrov’s first NHL goal in more than four years helped the Canadiens to the victory at Montreal.

Pittsburgh 2, Florida 1--Martin Straka scored the winning goal in the third period at Sunrise, Fla.

Carolina 4, Tampa Bay 2--Rod Brind’Amour, Sean Hill and Martin Gelinas scored second-period goals at Raleigh, N.C., as the Hurricanes handed the Lightning its eighth consecutive road loss.