Peter Laviolette has been impressed with the buzz Matt Rempe is bringing to the Rangers.
There seems to be something different about Matt Rempe.
Following his eight-game suspension, Rempe proclaimed that he was a “marked man” and he needs to be careful about his hits going forward.
In the three games back in the lineup, the 22-year-old forward has yet to take a single penalty as he is making good on his promise.
“I don’t take any penalties,” Rempe said. “Still being very physical just haven't taken any penalties, so I want to be very physical, but I don't want to take any penalties.”
Rempe is bringing a unique buzz to the Rangers that this team desperately needed and Peter Laviolette is impressed.
“I think he looks good,” Laviolette said. “I think some nights he is more noticeable based on the hits and the forecheck and what he can bring to the table, but I do think when he is on the ice it creates a buzz, it creates a noise out there… He is doing what we are asking him to do.”
Laviolette has had multiple conversations with Rempe about playing a cleaner game and avoiding dirty hits.
The goal is for Rempe to still bring that same physical energy with more awareness to make smart decisions.
“We talk to him about it all the time,” Laviolette said about conversations with Rempe. “We’ve talked to him about where he can and can’t. In his mind, he is tracking something and things change along the way. He has to process that and then make the right decisions as he is closing in on a hit. I think he is learning. He’s got to work from that and learn from that.”
Rempe’s development is on the right track and he’s trying to learn from his mistakes instead of letting it tear him down.