The Washington Capitals entered Game 3 of their first-round series against the New York Rangers two games (0-2) and two defensemen (Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin) down.
Rangers rookie Matt Rempe added injury to insult (literally) on Friday, April 26, by helping New York win their third consecutive game while injuring another defenseman with a humongous flying hit on Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Just a little over 12 minutes into the first period of the Rangers 3-1 Game 3 win over the Capitals, Rempe nailed van Riemsdyk with a monster hit and was forced out of Friday’s matchup by Washington shortly after getting blasted by the giant.
The 6-foot-7 rookie received a two-minute interference penalty for the hit. Rempe, who simply towers above van Riemsdyk and most other NHL players because of his imposing size, hit the Capitals player largely through the body with head contact being inevitable given the circumstances.
Capitals Players Not Pleased With Rempe
With two defenders ruled out for Game 3 and van Riemsdyk leaving the game earlier than expected, Capitals No. 1 defenseman John Carlson was forced to play 30:12 minutes in the Game 3 defeat at the hands of the Rangers.
“Throughout the series so far, they’ve come up with the big moments, whether that’s answering, whether that’s coming up with the next one, stuff like that,” Carlson said after the game. “It’s disappointing.”
Touching on Rempe’s hit, however, Carlson made no prisoners and complained about the Rangers game and how they are allowed to play an overly physical style of hockey.
“It’s whatever… I’m sick and tired of losing defensemen to called ‘clean hits’,” Carlson said in his postgame press conference on April 26. “Whether it’s in the end of the regular season or in the playoffs, it’s frustrating.
“It’s frustrating how guys can get injured and it’s legal. That’s what… we have to keep our head up and keep battling.”
Capitals center Nic Dowd went a step further, straight calling Matt Rempe’s action “a dirty hit” during his postgame press conference.
“Obviously, we hope [van Riemsdyk] is OK,” Dowd said. “That was a dirty hit. I think anybody can understand that [van Riemsdyk] made a play, time passed (after he passed the puck away on that play), and I think a player (Rempe) took advantage of another player in a vulnerable spot.
“You’re obviously hoping Riems is all right.”
Former Players Think Rempe Hit Was Clean
Rempe’s hit led to a two-minute penalty but many Washington Capitals players weren’t pleased with how the refs called that action, sending the rookie to the box for a brief period instead of punishing in a harder way.
The TNT panel broadcasting the game and discussing the action during the first intermission, however, agreed that Rempe’s hit was clean and that referees are targeting the rookie with their calls.
“I think the hit is OK,” Anson Carter said. “Matt Rempe is a big guy, fast guy, physical guy. [Van Riemsdyl] had to know he’s on the ice. He turned the wrong way. I think the hit is OK.”
Paul Bissonnette chimed in, replying “I agree with you” to Carter and adding “I thought it was clean.”
Wayne Gretzky, who was also a panelist on Friday, agreed with the rest of the TNT crew. “I thought it was a clean hit,” Gretzky said. “I was just a bit worried maybe it’s a touch late.
“But if the Washington player had his head up he would have [seen] him coming. And if you don’t see him coming, you hear him coming. And if you don’t hear him coming, you have to know he’s on the ice.
“[Rempe] is a big train out there, there is no question about that,” Gretzky finished.
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