Washington's Big 8 had no shots on goal while The Remper merely energized -- what else? -- the previously scoreless Rangers with the game's first goal.
As of today Matt Rempe is better than future Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin.
The capacity crowd at The Garden yesterday will vouch for that.
Washington's Big 8 had no shots on goal while The Remper merely energized -- what else? -- the previously scoreless Rangers with the game's first goal.
And if that didn't get the Blueshirts on to the 4-1 victory, nothing could. So, his teammates obliged Man Mountain Matt with two more goals faster than you can say
"New York has a new hockey hero."
Not only that but the Rangers have the makings of a legitimate power forward for years to come; not to mention the present playoff pageant.
"I'm built for the playoffs," the 6-8.5 Calgary native told the enthralled post-game media in case they didn't know. I know my game. I know I skate well and can be physical."
He was all of that during the season's homestretch starting with the outdoor classic against the Islanders at MetLife Stadium. But we all know that the regular season is one story and the playoffs are a different run of reality.
But you'd have to be wearing blinders on top of your blinders not to see that this lad does have the goods.
For starters, he's just plain smart. He knows where the net is as Caps goalie Charlie Lindgren discovered and he fits, like a perfectly meshed gear, on the line with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey.
"It's fun having him on our line," Vesey grinned. "When he's in the lineup, he has an effect on the rest of us. And he shows up every night."
Since The Maven started watching hockey at the Old Garden on Eighth Avenue in 1939 I've never witnessed anything like the instant, explosive impact Rempe has had on the fans, the Rangers players and the National Hockey League itself.
Even Peter Laviolette -- who has been around the circuit more than a few times -- acknowledges that he's never witnessed anything like Rempemania.
"When Matt steps on the ice he puts extra juice in the building," says Lavvy.
And, Heaven forbid; if the coach should scratch him for a game, chants of "WE WANT REMPE!" echo through The World's Most Famous Arena" until the final buzzer.
But the reaction when he scored the first goal in Game One even shook up veterans on the Blueshirt bench. "We were ecstatic," said Breadman Panarin.
So far, in his team-first approach, Laviolette has been nothing but prudent when it comes to doling out ice time for Matt. Against Washington he totalled 8:33 had three hits and was a plus-2.
Rempe's fourth line is just that and somewhat reminiscent of the Islanders "Identity Line" of Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas in their prime.
"Rempe's line is hard on the other team's top lines," adds defenseman K'Andre Miller who played well from start to finish."
This much is certain; Rempe-Fever will not go away because the Rangers high command knows for a fact that it has unearthed a truly rare bird.
New York Rangers Matt Rempe (73) scores a goal in the second period against the Washington Capitals in game one of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.As for Matt, we're talking about an All-Canadian Boy who fully realizes that this dream that he says he's living, is not a dream after all.
Actually he came to realize that after his job as the first lamplighter of this Caps-Rangers playoff.
"The crowd was absolutely buzzing," Rempe enthuses, "and I was loving it."
Here's one reason why:
Remper 1, Ovie, no score!