New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after drawing another match penalty for elbowing defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler during the second period of Monday’s contest with the New Jersey Devils.
Moments after Rempe screened Devils’ goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen for an Erik Gustafsson wrister that stretched the New York lead to 2-0, he caught Siegenthaler up high with an extended elbow.
If his second ejection against the Devils in as many appearances was not enough to draw the ire of the traveling New Jersey fans, Rempe’s unwillingness to answer the subsequent challenge of feared scrapper Kurtis MacDermid did not help matters.
If the hit on Nathan Bastian that earned Rempe a major penalty during the Feb. 22 contest between the teams was a case of the 6 ‘8 forward misjudging his own size, his elbow on Siegenthaler was a cynical chicken wing that will almost certainly result in a suspension. He now has 54 PIM in only 56 minutes of NHL ice time.
The Devils could not cash in on their five-minute man advantage and went on to lose the game 2-1. Worse yet, Siegenthaler did not return to the contest after sustaining the blow to the head.
The Swiss defenseman had already missed 16 games in 2023-24 with a broken foot, and the Devils’ inability to play him with usual partner Dougie Hamilton, out for the year with a torn pec, has contributed to their defensive struggles.
Before Monday’s game, the 26-year-old was second among Devils in blocks (77) and fifth in average ice time (19:35). New Jersey fans will eagerly await updates on Siegenthaler’s condition when interim head coach Travis Green addresses the media after the contest.
Whether the bad blood from the contest spills over into the April 3 rematch between the teams at Madison Square Garden, their last meeting of the season, will be a storyline to watch.
More must-reads: