Rempe's Return: Forward Makes Impact in Rangers' Victory

Matt Rempe returned to the New York Rangers' lineup on Tuesday night, playing a role in their 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 6-foot-9 forward had been a healthy scratch for six consecutive games following the team's season-opening loss.

Rempe replaced Jaroslav Chmelar on the fourth line's right wing. However, head coach Mike Sullivan reduced the bench's opportunities late in the game, limiting the ice time for Rempe and his linemates. Despite playing only 3:43, Rempe engaged in a fight with the Lightning's Jeff Viel.

"He obviously had a solid game for us," Sullivan said of Rempe. "He didn’t get a whole lot of minutes. Our fourth line didn’t get a lot of minutes tonight. It was the nature of how the game evolved. My intention going into the game was to get them more minutes than they did... It was just how the game evolved and looking for certain matchups.

"You sprinkle in some of the power plays and the penalty kills and defending the lead down the stretch. There were a lot of factors for that reason, but in the short minutes that Remps played, he made an impact."

Mentioning that Rempe's inclusion versus Chmelar would be a game-to-game decision, Sullivan noted that Chmelar had seen consistent play during the Rangers' 5-1 stretch after their shutout loss in Boston. Chmelar was part of the Rangers' home opener win against the Lightning.

Rempe, who missed a significant portion of last season due to two thumb surgeries, would need to clear waivers to be assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Rangers appear hesitant to have him sit for extended periods, with Sullivan indicating that player personnel decisions would also be based on opponent matchups.

After his first official game back on September 29, Rempe stated his thumb felt "100 percent." He expressed satisfaction with his physical condition, noting, "Physically, felt strong. Felt like myself again. So I was happy."

Separately, forward Pavel Dorofeyev addressed questions about contributing more offensively. With only one goal in his first eight games, Dorofeyev stated, "No, not really. I’m not focused on that stuff at all. Just trying to be myself and trying to help the team win the games. Sometimes you just have to play another way. It’s not always [about] the goals."

Coach Sullivan has utilized Dorofeyev on the top power-play unit, sometimes swapping him with Gabe Perreault when seeking to energize the unit. This adjustment was made against Vancouver and again during Tuesday night's game against the Lightning. The Rangers' power play failed to convert on any of their four opportunities against the Lightning.

The Rangers are scheduled to practice on Wednesday before facing the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Thursday.