Matt Rempe’s Reckoning

The Ref and I had just been chatting about needing more material on Matt “Rempire State Building” Rempe last week, and I agreed. We didn’t think it’d be much of a stretch, but the kid is hot tonight, the internet is thirsty, the Loverboy reference was icing on the cake – and that’s how she goes.

I was going to write some kind of blasé preview about the Rangers and Devils facing off, and how there’d sure to be some sort of frontier justice doled out after Rempe was kicked out / suspended for throwing an elbow the last time these two teams met… but I’m sick with that fackin’ thing going around, and didn’t have it in me.

When I turned on the game, and 2 seconds in there was a line brawl, I briefly thought it was a glorious fever dream. But it was indeed a beautiful reality, and I’m glad I stayed conscious long enough to see it. The kid is hot but also does not disappoint.

Matt Rempe has yet to make it through an entire Devils / Rangers game. While I find it hard to get through Devils games because they suck, Rempe has a penchant for being kicked out for high hits and flying elbows. In 3 contests, he has played a total of 5:03, racked up 47 PIM, and been ejected from all three games. 

A Shit-Disturbing Preface

• On February 22, his first game against the Devils, he was ejected 2:25 into the game for boarding Nathan Bastain.
• On March 11, he made it a little farther, getting 8 shifts for 4:48 time on ice before he was ejected for a flying elbow on Jonas Siegenthaler.

The Devils tough guy, Kurtis MacDermid, tried to fight him after the elbow but was unable to get to him and was given a 10 minute misconduct for his troubles. Insult to penalty, as MacD was being led off the ice – Rempe thought it wise to wave to him, which was obviously in no way antagonistic.

The Line Brawl Stage Was Set

Last night, the Rempire State Building was inserted into the Rangers lineup to start the game. Needing to answer the bell for that elbow, and the resulting suspension, the Devils made sure Kurtis MacDermid was part of the early mix in hopes of settling the score right off the hop.

While everyone expected something ultra-violent to result, I’m not sure anyone expected every player, their mothers, and a hotdog vendor, to also join the fray – but that’s exactly what happened. 

I love the buildup from the announcers talking about the scrap that’s about to unfold. Darren Pang had a Pang in his pants, saying “I have the best seat in the house”. MacD and Rempe are chatting it up before the puck drops, with no intention of actually playing hockey.

Who Said Fighting in Hockey is Dead?

When the puck does hit the ice, the main heavies finally get after it. What no one saw coming, was the other 8 guys picking a dance partner. No one wanted to sit the hoedown out. The camera stays focused, for the most part, on the main event, and it’s a long battle between Kurtis MacDermid and Matt Rempe.

I score it a win for MacDermid. He doesn’t beat the brakes off him, but he does win the fight, IMO.

Even the coaches are into it, as Peter Laviolette and Travis Green are screaming at one another as the dust settles. I’m not 100% sure why Laviolette was so upset, may have had something to do with nude photos, but he was, and I don’t think anyone in attendance or watching at home didn’t enjoy that little bonus round.

When the dust fully cleared in its entirety, 130 PIM were assessed for 5 fights and 4 game misconducts on each side. I’d be interested to know why there were 5 fights, but only 4 misconducts? Best I can imagine is 1 fight started after all the staged fights started? I don’t really know. And, again, I’m still hallucinating a bit in spite of a heavy dose of DayQuil.

What I do know, is our boy Matt Rempe is already a legend. I wish the Devils were a better team, because this sort of bad blood in the playoffs could make for some very entertaining spring hockey.