The New York Rangers lost for the second game in a row against the Florida Panthers, this time 3-2 in Game 5 of the conference finals on May 30.
New York needs back-to-back wins if it doesn’t want to get eliminated before reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2014.
Rookie Matt Rempe was on the lineup for the fourth game in a row. He only skated for 2:43 minutes appearing in 4 shifts in Game 5, per NaturalStatTrick.
For context, all other players in New York’s lineup played at least 7:18 minutes or skated in 12 different shifts.
A fair share of analysts and fans jumped on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, to comment on how Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette used Rempe in Game 5.
“Matt Rempe played 4 total shifts for a 2:43 TOI tonight, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen for a player that didn’t get injured,” NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) wrote.
“His last shift of the game ended with 6:08 left in the SECOND period. #NYR,” NHL News added. That is correct according to Natural Stat Trick’s Game 5 shift chart. All other Rangers players appeared in at least one shift after Rempe did so for one final time on Thursday.
The Rangers will play their first win-or-go-home game on Saturday at Florida. The Panthers only need one more win to clinch a place in the Stanely Cup Final for the second consecutive season.
Fans & Analysts React To Matt Rempe’s Low Usage
With NHL gameday squads featuring 12 forwards spread over four lines, making the most of each of those spots is a necessary task to complete by head coaches, let alone doing so in the playoffs.
The Rangers, who are missing Jimmy Vesey (injured), aren’t in a great position when it comes to depth. That said, Laviolette could choose his 12th forward among the trio of Rempe, Filip Chytil, and Blake Wheeler.
Laviolette scratched the latter for Game 5 after Wheeler committed the penalty leading to the game-winning Panthers goal in Game 4.
“I understand why Rangers fans love Rempe. It makes sense. I get it,” Adam Gretz wrote on X. “But a guy playing four minutes a night should not be this big of a storyline going into and during every game.”
Gretz mentioned the love for Rempe shown by Rangers fans as an MSG favorite. From that to using him for 2:43 TOI, however, there is a wide gap.
The user @ANTONIOEESPARZA echoed that sentiment on X, wondering “Why waste a roster spot for Rempe is he’s playing 2 mins a game?” He thinks “Laviolette is being out coached by Maurice.”
“Rempe has played 2:43,” Steve Conroy wrote on X. “I’m sorry but there’s no reason to dress a guy in a G5 whom you don’t trust to put on the ice.”
The user @NYRLouie said he will “give up” if Laviolette doesn’t bench Rempe, whose performance was described as “bleh.”
“If Blake Wheeler isn’t in the lineup Game 6, I give up,” Louie wrote on X. “No big hit, no Rempe chants, no energy. Just 2:43 of bleh.”
Rangers’ Matt Rempe Happy With His Development
The truth is that, while not using Rempe for even three minutes in Game 5, coach Laviolette appeared to be growing into trusting the rookie more of late.
Rempe logged 10:06 TOI in Game 2, then dropped to only 4:02 in Game 3 (although that one was on the road) and bounced to log 6:17 in Game 4. In Game 5, however, Rempe set a postseason-low 2:43 with his prior low set by the Game 3 mark.
The rookie played at least 4:26 in all regular-season games, per Hockey-Reference.com, excluding two matchups against the New Jersey Devils (he was ejected).
Rempe feels good about his improvement since making his debut more than three months ago in February 2024.
“I think I’ve improved, I’ve gotten better,” Rempe said, via New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro. “Better defensively, better in my all-around game. I think it’s showing. I’m getting better with the puck, skating better.
“I’m trying to make plays, trying to make things happen, trying to be a more well-rounded player.”
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