While Peter Laviolette wasn't overly pleased with Matt Rempe's hit on Miro Heiskanen, he felt the young forward had a real impact in the Rangers' win.
The New York Rangers’ 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night didn’t come without a little bit of controversy.
In the third period, Matt Rempe delivered a dirty hit to Miro Heiskanen, which resulted in Rempe receiving his fourth ejection of his 22-game NHL career.
Following the game, Peter Laviolette was asked about the incident. While he didn’t dive into much detail, he came to the defense of his player without fully letting Rempe off the hook.
“I thought he led off a little bit at the end. He’s just such a big guy,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “We killed the five, and we’re moving on.”
Rempe has been offered an in-person hearing for his hit. The NHL Department Of Player Safety referred to the hit as “boarding/elbowing” with Rempe’s elbow directed at Heiskanen’s head.
Aside from this blunder, Rempe had a productive game as he was able to draw three penalties and even generated a few offensive chances.
The 22-year-old’s physical presence rubbed off on the rest of the Rangers and Laviolette felt Rempe set the tone in that department.
“I thought he had a big impact on the game,” Laviolette said. “We’d like to stay away from the 5-minute major, but he’s doing his best to hit bodies and make a difference in the game. Our guys really rallied around that.”
It’s unclear at this point how severe Rempe’s punishment will be and if he will get suspended.
