As the physicality steadily increased in the Rangers’ eventual 4-0 win over the Predators on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, Matt Rempe naturally got in on the action.
Rempe came in with speed to land a hit on Nick Blankenburg, but he led with his elbow and caught the Nashville defenseman in the face less than five minutes into the first period.
Andreas Englund immediately sought retribution, dropping his gloves with the Rangers towering fourth-liner and exchanging some heavy blows.
“Remps is just such a big man,” head coach Peter Laviolette said when asked of his assessment of the hit. “He was forechecking. When he hits, he’s just higher than everybody else. I don’t think he hit him, I think he maybe grazed him a little bit. I think it was more of a miss.
“That’s his game, as well. He’s got to do it within the rules, but we also need him forechecking.”
While he was only called for an elbowing minor and a fighting major, it’s possible Rempe will have to face supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Especially considering he wrapped up an eight-game suspension just under two months ago, which came for boarding and elbowing Stars defenseman Miro Hesikanen.
That was Rempe’s second suspension, after his first came in the form of a four-game punishment due to an elbow on Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler last season.
