BREAKING: Rangers star forward returns against Jets After Completing Suspension

March 20, 2024 Michael Mills other 0

The New York Rangers will stick to their successful lineup as they face the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Consequently, Matt Rempe will be sidelined as he completes a four-game suspension.

NHL: New York Islanders at New York Rangers

 

 

The Rangers have emerged victorious in five of their last six games, with a record of 3-1-0 during Rempe’s absence. The tough rookie received a four-game suspension for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Sigenthaler on March 11 at Madison Square Garden and is now ready to return to play.

Although Rangers coach Peter Laviolette expressed his intention to rotate all 13 forwards in the final 14 regular season games to maintain readiness for the playoffs, he chose to stick with the same lineup for the game against the Jets after a 5-2 win over the Islanders where the bottom six players scored three goals.

Laviolette has been mixing up the bottom six forwards in recent games, considering using Will Cuylle on a defensive fourth line along with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey for the remainder of the season and possibly into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

The coach was impressed with Jonny Brodzinski’s performance when he was moved up to the third line alongside Kaapo Kakko and Alex Wennberg in the game against the Islanders.

Brodzinski is likely to be the player taken out of the lineup once Rempe returns, as Rempe typically plays on the fourth line. In Rempe’s absence, either Vesey or Cuylle will fill in on the third line.

Rempe had been in the lineup for 10 consecutive games before his suspension. Standing at 6-foot-8, he has contributed a goal, an assist, and accumulated 54 penalty minutes, leading the Rangers in this category. Although he averages 5:38 minutes of ice time per game, his highest was 11:08 against the St. Louis Blues before he received a match penalty against the Devils.

Laviolette praised Rempe’s physical play and his overall contribution to the team, indicating that he will return to the lineup.

The Rangers will make one change to their lineup on Tuesday, with defenseman Chad Ruhwedel making his debut for the team in place of the injured Ryan Lindgren, who is expected to be out for a few weeks due to a lower-body injury sustained in a game against the Islanders. Ruhwedel was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins before the NHL trade deadline and had been a healthy scratch for six consecutive games.

 

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