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About Denis Gorman

HPT's Atlantic Division beat writer, Denis Gorman is based in New York City. He covers the Rangers, Islanders and Devils for Metro Newspaper and writes NHL freelance stories for Yahoo Sports.

A lifelong hockey fan, Denis is always willing to talk about the greatest sport the world has ever known.

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DP's back and hasn't missed a beat Print
Atlantic
Written by Denis Gorman   
Friday, January 22, 2010 00:26
Atlantic Division notebook:

Rick DiPietro returned better than ever.

Since returning from myriad injuries that cost him 124 games spanning two seasons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 draft is 2-1 with a 1.96 GAA and .926 save percentage. DiPietro stopped Patrik Kaleta in Saturday night’s Coliseum 4-3 shootout win, his first in more than a year. DiPietro followed up his effort by shutting out the Devils, 4-0, in a home Martin Luther King Day matinee on Monday.

Dwayne Roloson started the Islanders’ 6-4 loss in Pittsburgh. The loss was marked by Andy Sutton’s boarding penalty against former teammate and Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis. The hit, which left Dupuis bloody, earned Sutton a two-game suspension.

Also this week, the Islanders waived checking-line forward Nate Thompson, who was picked up by Tampa Bay on Thursday. 

NEW YORK RANGERS

It’s been another schizophrenic week for the Rangers. Among the league’s least-potent offensive teams, the Rangers potted 14 goals between Sunday’s 6-2 home win over Montreal and Tuesday’s 8-2 demolition of Tampa Bay. … The Rangers mourned the passing of John Halligan, a longtime team and league publicist and hockey journalist. “John Halligan was an institution with the Rangers, and is as much a part of the tradition and history as any player who has worn the sweater. His tremendous loyalty and love for the organization and the game of hockey will be greatly missed,” GM Glen Sather said in a statement. Halligan spent 53 years working in the game. ... Former Ranger legend Brian Leetch said, “I was just a rookie when I got to meet John Halligan. When John asked me to do something, he always had a reference to a player who had been in that situation before. He would always guide you in the right direction.” Commissioner Gary Bettman added, “He loved the stories of the game and, over his decades in hockey, told those stories with an abiding respect for the history – and humor – so that future generations of fans could enjoy them as much as he did. The NHL has lost a dear friend.” Halligan was 68.

NEW JERSEY

Following a listless 4-0 loss to the Islanders on Monday, the Devils came to Wednesday’s early skate at The Rock and were…equally lethargic? Stunned at his team’s apathy, Jacques Lemaire sent his team home and told them to “go back to bed,” according to The New York Post. ... The Devils responded by shutting out Florida, 2-0, that night. Martin Brodeur earned his seventh shutout of the season, the fifth in 14 games and his 108th overall, while Travis Zajac and Dean McAmmond potted goals. … Devils sniper Patrik Elias was put on injured reserve with a concussion after being checked in the head by Colorado’s Ryan Wilson Saturday afternoon. Elias was taken off the ice on a stretcher in the Devils’ 3-1 loss. The Elias concussion was uncomfortably ironic because Devils prospect Patrice Cormier threw a devastating elbow to the head of Quebec Ramparts defenseman Mikael Tam in a recent Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game. Cormier has been suspended by the QMJHL, but The Hockey News declared that he should be “suspended for life.” … Former Devil Mike Danton met with the media on the campus of St. Mary’s in Halifax, Canada, on Thursday. Danton, who was imprisoned for five years in a murder-for-hire plot, was accepted at the university and will play college hockey. 

PHILADELPHIA

The Flyers’ 2-0 home shutout win over the Rangers on Thursday night was overshadowed by Daniel Carcillo’s fight with Marian Gaborik. Carcillo bragged to reporters after the game that he was “licking his chops.” … Philadelphia has won three of five and is one point out of the last playoff spot in the East. ... The Flyers host the rival Penguins at 3:30 p.m. local time Sunday, a game that will air nationally on NBC.

PITTSBURGH

The Penguins have overcome injuries while defending their Stanley Cup Championship. But now we are learning how important Marc-Andre Fleury is to the Stanley Cup Champions. Fleury broke a finger in last week’s 3-2 win in Edmonton and has missed Pittsburgh's last three games. The Pens are 1-2 in those games ... Pittsburgh's lone win – 6-4 over the Islanders Tuesday – was marked by Evgeni Malkin’s hat trick and Sidney Crosby’s six-point performance. … The Pens’ game at the Verizon Center against Alex Ovechkin on Super Bowl Sunday has been made the NBC Game of the Week. The game is scheduled to start at noon.

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Last Updated on Sunday, January 24, 2010 16:08