The New York Rangers are expected to play both Kaapo Kakko and Matt Rempe for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers. With Jimmy Vesey listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette had a big decision to make on who to insert into the lineup. After being a healthy scratch in Game 1, Matt Rempe suited up for Game 2 and provided a strong physical spark, tallying a total of nine hits while energizing the crowd at Madison Square Garden. Kakko was a healthy scratch for Game 2, which was the first time he was benched in that magnitude since the Eastern Conference Final back in 2022 when the Rangers took on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stan Fischler On Rangers Cup Chances With an opening in the lineup, Kakko now has another chance to prove his worth Blake Wheeler is also available to play, but Laviolette decided to go with the players who were more fresh as Wheeler has been out with a leg injury since February.
