Matt Rempe stretched on the bench several minutes before warmups when the chants started.
A chorus of 鈥淩empe! Rempe!鈥� emerged from nearby New York Rangers fans, sounding almost like the Yankees 鈥淏leacher Creatures鈥� roll-calling players from the outfield.
The waved and got a big cheer when he went down the tunnel.
Then, every time he touched the puck during the game in Washington, the Capitals crowd booed Rempe, unhappy about a hit he made two nights earlier that injured defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and about his play. The 21-year-old forward shrugged it off, happy to play the villain role on the road knowing back home at Madison Square Garden he'll be applauded just as much, if not more.
鈥淚鈥檝e got no issue with it,鈥� Rempe said last weekend. 鈥淚n New York there, they love it when I鈥檓 playing hard. And if you go on the road and they don鈥檛 like it, that means you鈥檙e playing hard, you鈥檙e playing physical.鈥�
That's what the Rangers want from Rempe, called up in February to bring some size and toughness to a team that went on to finish atop the NHL and win the Presidents' Trophy. They'll next face of their pursuit of the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 1994.
Rempe unintentionally injured two Washington Capitals players in Game 3 of the first-round sweep: van Riemsdyk on a hit he was penalized on for interference and winger T.J. Oshie on an otherwise innocuous hit that caused a broken right hand.
Tom Wilson tried to fight Rempe afterward. Rempe declined.
鈥淚 just felt like there鈥檚 a certain point where he hits enough of your teammates 鈥� that are kind of borderline hits 鈥� that it doesn鈥檛 matter whether it鈥檚 the playoffs or a big game, it doesn鈥檛 mean anything: It鈥檚 still hockey. You can still stand up for your teammates,鈥� Wilson said Tuesday. 鈥淚 felt like in that moment I wanted to do that. He didn鈥檛 want to do it.鈥�
Rempe fought New York Islanders tough guy Matt Martin on his first shift in the league back in February in front of at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He fought four more times over his final 17 games of the regular season, and the balance between dropping the gloves and the trappings of that from five minutes in the box to risk of injury, is a constant conversation between Rempe and the coaching staff.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been a really effective player for us,鈥� coach Peter Laviolette said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 done it on the ice with his game. He鈥檚 done it through his physicality. He鈥檚 done it through fighting when he鈥檚 had to. We鈥檙e just trying to manage him and make sure he understands that he鈥檚 important when he鈥檚 on the ice, as well.鈥�
Rempe scored a goal, blocked a shot and dished out 18 hits in his first NHL playoff series, skating just 27 minutes (average of 6:46) over four games. Based on practice Wednesday, he'll be in the lineup for the , which could be Sunday or Monday in New York.
His status could certainly change if Laviolette opts for more speed against the or if his first game since Nov. 2. But for now the Rangers enjoy having Rempe on the ice with them.
鈥淗e鈥檚 just a big kid having fun playing hockey,鈥� captain Jacob Trouba said. 鈥淧layers love him. He鈥檚 been a big part of our team, a big part of momentum, a big part of just the attitude and the energy around the Rangers recently. That鈥檚 a lot to carry for someone like him, but I think he鈥檚 done a great job of it."
Rempe became something of a cult hero thanks to his fists and his enormous frame 鈥� and also a lightning rod for criticism after some big hits, including one that drew for an illegal check to the head of New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. He was penalized but not suspended for the body check on van Riemsdyk, who said he put himself in a bad spot.
鈥淵ou've got be aware of when guys like that are on the ice and where they are at all times,鈥� van Riemsdyk said. "He got me pretty good, I could鈥檝e done a better job of protecting myself.鈥�
Rather than scan social media after the game, Rempe played 鈥淗alo鈥� with Chris Kreider and other teammates and ripped himself for a 鈥渧ery bad performance鈥� in his first experience with the video game. He's able to ignore a lot of the outside noise about him, but Rempe is also introspective about his own play and analyzes each of his hits to make sure such a big, powerful player he doesn't cross the line and take penalties that hurt the Rangers.
鈥淭he big thing for me is I鈥檝e got to keep everything compact,鈥� Rempe said. 鈥淣o elbows, I guess, is one thing I鈥檝e got to make sure. I鈥檓 so big that once I鈥檓 committed to a hit, I鈥檝e got to make sure that everything鈥檚 tucked and if guys are jumping out of the way I鈥檝e got to make sure, hey, I can鈥檛 stick anything out as a reactionary thing. I鈥檝e got to just miss the hit.鈥�
Toeing that line between playing on the edge and being physical is something Wilson and others of that size try to perfect. Rempe is still early in that process as a professional.
鈥淚 can make big hits, but I want it to be clean because then I鈥檓 helping the team,鈥� Rempe said. "I鈥檓 going to continue to learn and grow and try to get better with every aspect because I鈥檝e got to learn in everything. It鈥檚 been fun, and I鈥檓 just going to keep learning.鈥�
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AP NHL playoffs: and
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
