Craig Ramsay, back, got off to a winning start Sunday in place of Roger Neilson.

Neilson, 65, who has multiple myeloma -- a rare form of bone marrow cancer, will receive a large dose of chemotherapy Monday and will be away from the team for the remainder of the regular season and at least through one round of playoffs.

His first absence was Sunday night when the Flyers beat the New York Rangers 3-2 at Madison Square Garden.

"We expected it, we knew it was coming," captain Eric Lindros said prior to Philadelphia's game against the Rangers. "We're prepared for it. It's time to go out and play."

Neilson, who revealed in December that he was ill, had hoped to coach Sunday and throughout next week when the Flyers have home games against Chicago and Pittsburgh, and a contest at the New York Islanders. But doctors wanted him to have full rest before his aggressive treatment.

The coaching duties have been handed over to assistant Craig Ramsay, who will run the team, and Wayne Cashman. Mike Stothers has joined the staff from the Philadelphia Phantoms, the Flyers affiliate in the American Hockey League.

"The game plan is the same, Roger implemented it," Lindros said. "The whole game plan is not hard to play, you just have to go play it."

In addition to the chemotherapy, Neilson will have bone marrow cells removed in preparation of a stem-cell transplant. The clean marrow will be transplanted back in about two weeks, and Neilson will need three to six weeks after that for recovery.

Neilson's imminent departure was announced Saturday, before the Flyers beat Washington 4-2 at home.

In 15 games, prior to Sunday, the Flyers went 4-6-5 -- a stretch that dropped them 13 points behind Atlantic Division-leading New Jersey.