The New York Rangers gave no option to the Washington Capitals in the first two games of their first-round series, beating them twice and entering the third and fourth game of the matchup with a 2-0 lead and the Capitals fuming.
Although there was some off-ice exchange of plasentries between Rangers rookie Matt Rempe and Capitals veteran Tom Wilson, they have yet to physically meet on the ice through two games.
Both of them, however, have impacted their team’s outings by scoring one goal apiece; Rempe in Game 1 to open the score and Wilson in Game 2 to keep the Capitals’ hope for a win alive.
After a sublime postseason debut that included the rare goal scored by the young enforcer, however, Rempe returned to do what he does best: apply some physical play.
Rempe finished Game 2 with no actual contributions other than racking up hits on Washington’s bodies.
The rookie spent 7:34 minuts on the ice skating 10 shifts across the game, hitting Capitals players 7 times, getting called for a penalty, and sitting on the penalty box for two minutes following a minor penalty for roughing Lucas Johansen.
Rempe Scored in Game 1, Is Ready for Postseason Play
Rempe and teammate Artemi Panarin lifted the Rangers in Game 1 with one goal apiece at pivotal moments of the contest. The defense was stout and New York earned a rather easy 4-1 victory to kick off the first-round series.
“I know my game,” Rempe told reporters following his postseason debut on April 21. “I know I could skate well, be physical, and I’m built for the playoffs.
“I think I play real hard and can be a pain to play against; protect pucks down low and go to the net,” Rempe added. “I think I’m built for the playoffs. I think that’s where you want to play, and I was happy with how tonight went.”
In game two, however, things got a bit harder for Rempe’s Rangers, who had to labour to conquer Washington for the second time in as many games. At the end of the game, however, New York went away with a 4-3 win in which four different players (none of them Rempe or Panarin) contributed a goal.
Although Panarin didn’t score, he was the one deliver the biggest hit of the night when he blasted T.J. Oshie hitting him with his back and shoulder and knocking him out for the remainder of Game 2.
Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette said he was expecting a high level of physicallity in Game 2, which is excatly what happened on Tuesday.
“This morning somebody asked me what I expected and I said I expected that tonight,” Laviolette told reporters after the game on April 23. “The way it played out, physical and some attitude directed inside of the game. I thought our guys responded pretty well. It was a hard-fought game.”
Rempe Praised by Former NHL Player Paul Bissonnette
Former NHL player and Spittin Chiclets podcast’s host Paul Bissonnette has been giving Matt Rempe his flowers for the past few days and during the first couple of first-round contests played between the Rangers and the Capitals.
Bissonnette sounded dubious about Rempe’s talents come playoffs time when he quoted a quote by Rempe shared by the New York Post’s Mollie Walker on April 21.
After Rempe scored the first goal of the Rangers’ postseason run, however, Bissonnette could only acknowledge the rookie talents.
“The Rempire State Building gets one,” Bissonnette wrote on X on April 21. “Oh man the Garden loves him that’s incredible. Rempe chants holy (expletive) he is him.”
Then, following Game 2 and in an episode of the podcast released after New York’s 4-3 win, Bissonnette discused Rempe with fellow co-host Ryan Whitney and he sounded even more convinced Rempe “is him.”
“The most electrifying stadium in the world, Madison Square Garden, this guy…” Bissonnette started. “He is him, that’s what the kids say.
“He. Is. Him.”
The Rangers and the Capitals will play Game 3 in the nation’s capital on Friday, April 26, as Washington will try to reduce New York’s advantage in half in an effort to make it a series instead of a sweep by the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
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