Reputation-Wise, This Is What Matt Rempe Had Better Be Thinking About

The Skating Giraffe, alias Matt Rempe, is in the National Hockey League's version of The Brig, serving his four-game suspension.

Of course, he'd rather be skating with his New York Ranger pals tonight at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.

Instead, The Skating Giraffe -- alias Matt Rempe -- is in the National Hockey League's version of The Brig.

Marauding Matt is serving his four-game suspension for pile driving the head of New Jersey's Jonas Siegenthaler the last time the rivals met at The Garden.

While there are not very objective fans who believe that the NHL punishment was from one to two games excessive, the voices from out of town as well as Park Slope in Brooklyn believe that, yes, four was enough but better yet, the max, five games.

My buddy, Steve Viuker, who has been watching hockey since the six-team NHL days, is an author and longtime sports critic. He took a dim view of Rempe's behavior after the Ranger torpedoed and sunk Siegenthaler.

"Someone should tell Rempe to wipe that smile off his face before it gets wiped off him" an angry Viuker told me.

The learned former NHLer-turned-analyst Ray Ferraro tweeted a message to the effect that he was surprised that the Devils weren't physically tougher on some Rangers after Rempe got the ref's heave-ho.

Sage as usual, Ferraro makes a point and now The Maven makes his terrific thought-twister.

Rempe had a chance to put up his dukes that fateful night. Devils heavyweight Kurtis MacDermid invited Matt The Mauler to go a round with him.

And in case the Rangers rock star didn't hear him the first time, Mac repeated a "Let's go!"

But the suddenly-turned pacifist Ranger declined to fight -- I'm sure -- to the dismay of at least half the 18,000 who figured that Matt should have honored the battler's code.

Now here's my point: The Devils visit the Garden one more time; Wednesday, April 3rd. Barring injury, MacDermid will be wearing the New Jersey colors and will extend one more invitation to Rempe to do you-know-what.

As The Godfather said, "This is an offer you can't refuse."

Maven Advice: Hey, Remper, you got a little suspension time to think about it.

Business is business. You did your business on Siegenthaler. Now you'd better prepare yourself to do business with MacDermid.

The Godfather was right!