Every so often, some critic will come along and complain that "Hockey isn't as tough as it used to be." And then Matt Rempe will enter from Stage Left
Every so often, some critic will come along and complain that "Hockey isn't as tough as it used to be."
And then Matt Rempe will enter from Stage Left -- alias Hartford -- and have two fights in his first two games, and suddenly, The Skating Giraffe (he's 6-8-plus) has become THE story.
That is, the story after the New York Rangers' ninth straight victory.
Rempe's world premiere debut bout took place before more than 79,000 spectators last
Sunday. He went toe to toe with the Islanders very game Matt Martin. Rempe won it on points because he's now the biggest guy in the National Hockey League, and Martin is not.
Nor is the Devils' right wing Nathan Bastian.
At 6-4 205, Bastian gives up inches and pounds to Rempe, who didn't really start a fight with Bastian, but what he did to poor Nat sure led to fisticuffs and skirmishes.
On what was The Giraffe's first shift of the game Rempe so forcefully stepped into the Devil that it's a wonder that Nathan's head remained in place once bleeding-Nat hit the ice.
It won Rempe a five-minute major and a game misconduct. It also confirmed what Rangers coach Peter Laviolette later declared was a team-winning asset, "Our guys were physical."
But more to the point, Matt's mauling of Bastian could -- in the view of many -- have further spurred the Rangers on to eventual victory. (It seemed as if each Ranger grew an inch or three.)
After all, once Rempe was removed from the scene of his -- er -- crime, the Rangers ripped into the Devils with reckless abandon. It was a factor that won the game since the Visitors were otherwise outshot by a ton -- 40-18.
Also very interesting is the fact that before the season began, one knock against Chris Drury's otherwise talented team was that New York had too many "Lighthorse Harrys" and -- discounting Jacob (The Terrific) Trouba -- it was a team that could be pushed around.
Not anymore, folks; not if Rempe remains on Seventh Avenue.
Of course, we still don't know whether The Skating Giraffe really belongs in the league. So, to get a better read on that, I rushed to The Maven's Brand New Analytics Machine. (TMBNAM).
A dropped a quarter into the slot, and after three "bling-bling," the trusty TMBNAM had the answer.
To wit:
THE RANGERS ARE TWO-FOR-TWO WITH REMPE IN THE LINEUP. OF COURSE
HE BELONGS!
P.S The Maven also was hoping that TMBNAM also would confirm that hockey is as tough as ever. Unfortunately, I didn't have another quarter on me!