One of the niftiest gifts a late hockey Santa Claus delivered to the Rangers last season was a towering item that could skate, fight, and, most of all, make Rangers fans smile.
Make no mistake, Matt Rempe was like a gigantic bundle of goodies all wrapped up in an affable disposition delivered by way of Hartford.
Always with a sense for detecting a raw hero, the Blueshirt Faithful took to Rempe like they would welcome Panarin-Kreider-Mika-Fox-Iggy all wrapped in one loud roar of approval.
"We couldn't get enough of Rempe," said The Old Scout, an Emile Francis-era Rangers fan.
But that was the trouble, coach Peter Laviolette treated The Skating Giraffe like he was some kind of swamp crocodile. But The Remper wouldn't bite. He took his five minutes – ten if he won the Lottery – on ice and did the grin-and-bear-it routine.
Then he spent the past summer doing EVERYTHING – skating and boxing lessons, hanging out with Professor Kreider – so he can be a better player.
Out of the Rangers three games so far, Rempe's reward has been a gratuitous kick-in-the-tuchess. Pistol Pete, the illustrious coach, has played Matt once – for about finger-counting minutes.
The other dirigible-on-ice, Adam Edstrom has played in all three games producing goose egg, goose egg, goose egg. Rempe has earned; why hasn't he been in all three Games? That's The Maven's question.
That's also why tonight's game in Motor City is so important for Rempe; not to mention, You, me and the rest of his legion of admirers.
If Lavvy doesn't play him: Result: UH-OH! If he plays him for five minutes: NOT GOOD ENOUGH! If he gets a regular spot on the fourth line: JUSTICE TRIUMPHS!
