It was solely a three-second glimpse, however Matt Rempe, lastly, showcased offensive strides. Those he began speaking about within the preseason — after a summer season’s price of labor — and stored doubling down on, even when he fluctuated out and in of the Rangers lineup and shuttled forwards and backwards to AHL Hartford.
Those that, over time, will assist him morph into greater than a bodily fourth-line ahead.
Within the early minutes of the third interval Tuesday, Rempe discovered house alongside Adam Edstrom on a rush, collected a go and flipped the puck into the Senators web together with his backhand moments later, giving the Rangers a three-goal lead. It marked simply the third aim of Rempe’s profession and first of the marketing campaign.
As a winger with a hulking 6-foot-8 ½ body, his job description doesn’t sometimes embrace that. He’s removed from a 20-goal scorer.
At this tempo, he’s removed from even being a five-goal one, too.
However Rempe nonetheless needs to vary that.
Fifteen hours after the aim, he primarily had the ice to himself in the course of the non-obligatory apply earlier than a house match in opposition to the Flyers on Thursday.
He labored on utilizing his physique to protect pucks and create probabilities. He targeted on skating. All the pieces, actually, centered round offense.
“I need to be a extremely good energy ahead at some point,” Rempe mentioned, “and I feel that’s simply gonna be a piece in progress.”
His imaginative and prescient hasn’t shifted, even after journeys to AHL Hartford, inconsistent taking part in time and an eight-game suspension interrupted the movement of his second season.
Rempe has remained within the lineup for the previous seven video games, with the Blueshirts accumulating a degree in every, and has solely taken 11 penalty minutes — with all of these crammed inside the previous two video games.
He has prevented pricey penalties. He has strayed from the sort of hits that may find yourself with him on the Division of Participant Security and will result in one other suspension.
And together with his season simply beginning to discover some rhythm and stability, Rempe teased the offensive impression he hopes will comply with, too.
“There’s no query that he’s gotten higher,” Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette mentioned, “and there’s no query that he nonetheless has work to do to get higher.”
When Rempe returned from his suspension, he exuded warning.
He referred to himself as a “marked man.” One other violation, one other reckless verify, one other listening to with the league might result in a “large suspension.” Rempe knew he wanted to choose his spots. However he additionally knew he couldn’t lose his bodily edge. With offensive contributions uncommon, that sat on the crux of his position.
Rempe has collected 17 hits since returning whereas principally staying out of the penalty field, excluding a struggle in opposition to Arber Xhekaj on Sunday and a four-minute stint for roughing whereas defending goaltender Igor Shesterkin — who Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk rammed into the publish — on Tuesday.
“I feel I haven’t taken any unhealthy penalties,” Rempe mentioned, “however I nonetheless assume I’ve been very bodily. Simply being a bit smarter, attempting to make use of my stick just a little bit extra, however nonetheless need to be very bodily — and I feel that I’ve been.”
And Tuesday, he fell 16 seconds shy of his second-high in ice time with 9:26.
Rempe’s first aim, 11 months in the past in Philadelphia, solely unfolded when a puck ricocheted off his shin and into the web. Within the Rangers’ playoff opener final yr, Rempe scored their first aim when a puck popped out from behind the web and he smacked it in. This time, although, it was greater than only a right-place, right-time aim.
Rempe is aware of that the offensive layers of his recreation stay works in progress.
That’s why he turned an non-obligatory skate into primarily a solo exercise. Laviolette mentioned younger gamers are “always studying.” Rempe, given his sophisticated historical past with the Rangers, already has lots to study from.
At totally different factors, the outcomes might begin to trickle out. A aim right here. An help there. Good approaches to hits.
And when that occurred Tuesday, when Rempe heard the Backyard crowd chanting his title once more, it captured the motivation behind why he needs “to change into much more than I’m.”
“He feels that right here in New York,” Laviolette mentioned of the response. “He’s fairly cherished by the followers within the metropolis, his teammates and what he brings to the desk. … From a confidence standpoint, that makes you’re feeling good, such as you could be a contributing issue, and he has. He’s completed effectively. He places within the work. He’s attempting to get higher.
“There was enchancment. And he has impacted the sport like he did [Tuesday].”