Matt Rempe gets benched for game two against the Carolina Hurricanes

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Hunter Bowman
May 6, 2024 (8:34 PM)

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The New York Rangers snagged an early lead against the Carolina Hurricanes last night, eyeing a spot in the Eastern Conference final.

Despite the team's strong performance, rookie Matt Rempe might find himself watching the next game from the sidelines.

Rempe, who has been a consistent presence in practices, lingered on the ice longer than his teammates today, practicing with those usually not in the lineup. While not a definite indicator, this suggests head coach Peter Laviolette is contemplating a lineup change for Game 2 against the Hurricanes. Rempe's limited ice time of just 7 minutes in the last game and his penalty might have influenced this consideration.

Looks like #NYR F Matt Rempe is going to be a scratch and may be out tomorrow for Game 2 vs #CauseChaos

Hockey analyst Pete Blackburn commented on the penalty called on Rempe, suggesting it was unfairly influenced by the player's reputation. He argued that Jordan Staal's actions, which led to Rempe colliding with the goalie, were overlooked because of who was involved. Blackburn's tweet reflected his frustration with the call:

Matt Rempe is getting so many stupid reputation calls that I'm simply forced to root for him at this point.

The penalty did not sit well with Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette either, who was visibly upset on the sidelines.

Peter Laviolette is PISSED at the Rangers bench after Matt Rempe is penalized for goalie interference

#NYR | #CauseChaos

This isn't the first time Rempe has been on the receiving end of contentious calls; he faced similar situations in the first-round series against the Washington Capitals. With referees seemingly quick to penalize him, keeping Rempe out of the lineup might be a strategic move to avoid unnecessary penalties as the Rangers look to secure their advancement.

Source: Houseofhockey
Matt Rempe gets benched after terrible game one versus Carolina