The New York Rangers have been outstanding in the playoffs, and with some key names getting healthy, it may be the end for standout rookie Matt Rempe.
This season, Matt Rempe was one of the biggest stories in the NHL, as he took the league by storm with his physical, fearless play, as he never backed down from a challenge playing under one of the league's biggest spotlights. Heading into the playoffs, there was a hope that his physicality could lift the Rangers, and while it certainly has, his play to back that up hasn't been quite as good.
After playing just 6:18 minutes of ice time in their semi-final win over the Carolina Hurricanes, the Rangers now have Blake Wheeler and Filip Chytil healthy, and after being scratched in game one, it's likely the end for Rempe this post-season.
In the regular season, Rempe brought life to this Rangers team, not backing down from any challenge, but at 21-years of age, he's still got plenty to improve upon, and just being around this team on the biggest stage will certainly help him improve moving forward. Unsurprisingly, Rempe remains incredibly positive, with his latest comments showing that he understands his role and what he needs to work on;
«Everything, what I've done my whole life, is outwork people and that's what I want to do,» Rempe said via the New York Post. «I know I got a long way to go. I've just been always playing catchup, per se, the last couple of years and here I want to exceed expectations every single day. I got a lot of work to do now.»
For now, it appears Rempe's time in the playoffs is done, but if the team need a big, physical shot in the arm, we may see him deployed again at some point.
