Fischer OK on bench; Modano gets personal

November 6, 1999

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Rookie Jiri Fischer sat smiling, as usual, at his dressing-room stall Friday morning. He spoke of the game to come against Carolina.

"Hopefully," he said, "I'll get more ice time than last game. That would be pretty cool."

Wednesday night against Los Angeles, Fischer dressed but didn't skate a single shift.

"No big deal," he said. "I just watched the game. I had the best seats of anyone in the crowd. It was awesome."

Whether Fischer plays or doesn't play, he remains jovial, just happy to be here. But he won't be spending much time on the bench in days to come. Paired with Norris Trophy candidate Nicklas Lidstrom on defense against the Hurricanes, Fischer played 12:55, his most this year with the Red Wings.

The team has been thrilled with Fischer's development, and with the schedule beginning to pick up, the coaches want him to make greater contributions. His doing so would allow them to play three full pairs instead of 2 1/2, keeping veterans Larry Murphy, Chris Chelios and Steve Duchesne sharper.

Lidstrom -- who gave up a partner (Murphy) who has more seasons in the NHL (20) than Fischer has on Earth (19) -- moved from the left side to the right. But he had no qualms. Lidstrom played alongside Fischer during the exhibition season, and he said the move made sense.

"He's a real talented player," Lidstrom said. "He's a big kid, but he's a good skater for his size. I think what he needs is some playing time, to get used to playing in this league."