Matt Rempe provides spark with fight, goal as Rangers tie franchise record with 10th straight win
PHILADELPHIA — Matt Rempe wasn’t even on the Rangers’ roster at the start of this winning streak — which reached 10, tying a franchise record, after their 2-1 victory against the Flyers on Saturday.
He didn’t skate in his first NHL game until Feb. 18.
But there he was at Wells Fargo Center, just like he was at MetLife Stadium, dropping the gloves on the first shift of the game and delivering an old-school fight with Nicolas Deslauriers.
They skated around in circles for a dozen seconds as the public address system rang a bell to signify a fight was going down.
Then, they started “throwing bombs,” as the 6-foot-8 forward described them, for nearly 40 seconds.
That provided the initial spark. Got “the juices flowing,” Rempe said.
Then his screen in the third period produced the game-winning goal, the first of his NHL career, which allowed this group of Rangers (39-16-3) to etch their name alongside the teams from 1939-40 and 1972-73, with the chance to set the mark for consecutive wins — rewriting history for a franchise with 98 years of it — Sunday against the Blue Jackets.
“It was a dream come true,” Rempe said. “It was awesome.”
The fights and the hits have almost become routine at this point.
Rempe’s first NHL shift turned into a bout.
In the Rangers’ win Thursday, he also knocked a Devils player into the boards on his first shift and earned a match penalty.
This time, it was a “good one for sure,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. That type of fight doesn’t happen often.
Deslauriers challenged Rempe during warmups, Rempe responded with, “Hell yeah, let’s go,” and everything started when Rempe and Deslauriers twirled around until someone made the first move.
The other Rangers and Flyers skaters cleared space.
The referees didn’t try to interfere.
And once Rempe lunged toward Deslauriers, the pair exchanged punches for nearly 40 seconds, until the top of Rempe’s jersey got pulled onto his head, he tried to fix it with one hand then ended up on the ice a few seconds later.
“If something happens, [Rempe] can jump in and kill somebody,” goaltender Igor Shesterkin said.
The impact of the jolt Rempe provided wasn’t immediately tangible.
The Flyers peppered Shesterkin’s net in the first period, and he needed to make 17 saves to keep the game scoreless.
But eventually, with around eight minutes left in the second, Alexis Lafreniere gave the Rangers the lead, taking a pass from Vincent Trocheck during a span of 4-on-4 and snapping a shot past goaltender Samuel Ersson.
It didn’t take long for the Flyers to equalize in the third period.
They kept directing chances toward Shesterkin, and on one, Scott Laughton carried the puck behind the net and managed to fling a pass while falling to the ice.
Then, Tyson Foerster flipped that past Shesterkin.
Four minutes later, though, Rempe did exactly what he was supposed to do, Laviolette said. Exactly what he wanted to do — “that’s my game,” Rempe added.
He got to the front of the net and knocked around Ersson to set a screen.
He waited for someone to fire a shot in his direction.
And watched as the puck squeaked past Ersson.
Rempe didn’t get credit for the goal at first, though he led the Rangers to the bench in celebration.
It initially went to Barclay Goodrow, but Rempe knew he felt something hit his shin pad.
Maybe it was a stick. Maybe it was the puck.
He’ll “take it,” he said.
There hasn’t been much, or really anything at all, stopping the Rangers since the All-Star break.
Not the Avalanche.
Not the Lightning.
Not even the Devils, who ended their quest for a postseason run last year before it reached the second round.
That didn’t change Saturday.
And if a 10-game winning streak makes just about anything seem possible, if it makes the Blueshirts resemble a group that could avoid the traps and early exits that have ended past playoff sprints, then it was Rempe — of all people — who provided the latest reason for that.
“He loves what he does and loves to hit and be physical,” Laviolette said, “and it’s nice to get rewarded by going to the net tonight and getting his first NHL goal.
“Pretty good night for him. It was awesome.”
