Matt Rempe Returns to Rangers Lineup After Injury

Rempe’s Road to Recovery

Matt Rempe, a forward for the New York Rangers, made a triumphant return to the ice after a nearly two-month absence due to a broken thumb. The injury occurred during a fight with San Jose Sharks’ Ryan Reaves on October 23. Rempe initially didn’t notice the pain, but upon inspecting his thumb, he discovered it was broken in multiple places.

Rehabilitation and Return

Rempe’s rehabilitation process involved power skating without a stick, light stickhandling, and eventually rejoining the team. Despite logging only 9:01 of ice time, a team low, coach Mike Sullivan expressed satisfaction with Rempe’s performance. “I thought Remps played well under the circumstances,” Sullivan said. “I thought he kept his game simple. The one thing about Remps is when he’s in the lineup, he makes an impact.”

Rempe’s Performance

Rempe was pleased with his effort, except for one instance where he was beaten by Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov with three seconds left. Rempe fired the puck off the end boards in frustration and was still beating himself up about the play after the game. However, he noted that the team had played mostly in the O-zone and had numerous chances.

Statistics and Notes

The Rangers led 16-2 in five-on-five shot attempts with Rempe on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick. Sullivan gave Rempe a look on the second power-play unit in the second period. Rempe also had hits on three of his first four shifts, drawing the attention of Ducks forward Ross Johnston, who wanted to engage in a fight. However, Rempe couldn’t participate due to his thumb injury.

Other Notes

Coach Sullivan scratched forward Mika Zibanejad for missing a team meeting. Sullivan declined to elaborate on the specifics, stating that the team believes in a process they’ve put in place. The Rangers’ power play woes continued, going zero-for-four and allowing a shorthanded goal. Matthew Robertson scored the lone Rangers tally, logging 17:27 against the Ducks, above his season average.

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