THE REMPE ISSUE: Let's face it, Matt Rempe got too popular, too fast for his own good and right now has become a Sideshow Charlie in the overall Rangers organization. Fans, who last season reflexively cheered him for doing virtually nothing, are now having second thoughts about Rempe's value. At this moment that value comes to The Square Root Of Chai Nothing. Part of the problem is that The Remper had built himself up for his own letdown. Nobody told him to make a big deal about taking summertime boxing lessons. And nobody told him he had to advertise his degree in power skating, not to mention his"learning" seance with Chris Kreider. Each one of Matt's episodes generated "Oh-Wow" stories. There's nothing wrong with Rempe trying to become a more well-rounded hockey player had he done it on the quiet but he helped create story after story. Stan Fischler talks about Matt Rempe. Now we're talking about a guy who is dangling off the roster cliff and lucky to get six minutes of ice time if that much, provided, of course, that the general staff believes he can help the big club. (Or would be better suited as a full-timer in Hartford.) To put it in a more practical way, Peter Laviolette likes Jonny Brodzinski, Adam Edstrom and Sam Carrick a lot better than The Skating Giraffe. As the cheery homily goes, "Genius will out." If Sideshow Rempe doesn't watch out, he COULD be out! THE ZIBANEJAD ISSUE: Alas Poor Mika, he can't get a break. Not everybody – especially my buddy Sean McCaffrey – loves the Sweet Swede. Even old pal Sean Avery has gotten on Magician Z's case. But I've got news for the two Seans, what's happening to Zibanejad is perfectly normal and New York traditional. Since the franchise was born in 1926, Rangers fans have needed one player to hate; and The Maven can go on and on about this subject. Suffice to say, I was there when the Blueshirts paid a load of dough for a defenseman named Allan Stanley. Well, let me tell you something, it reached a hate level that manager Frank Boucher would only play Stanley in road games. But that's not the end of this tragicomedy. Seemingly over the hill, Big Al was picked up by Punch Imlachj for his Maple Leafs and Stanley wound up on four Stanley Cup-winners. Super-Duper New York hockey writer Stan Saplin wrote a story for Sport Magazine called "They (As In Rangers Fans) Almost Ruined Allan Stanley." Saplin closed the article with an episode outside old Madison Square Garden as Stanley exited the players' entrance on West 49th Street. Here's how Stan wrote about Stanley: "A fan approached Stanley as he left the Garden after playing an outstanding game against the Rangers. "'You didn't play that way when you were with us,' the fan said accusingly.' "'Yes, I did,' Stanley replied a bit sadly. 'Yes, I did!'"
