The Washington Capitals expressed frustration after the latest injurious hit by New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe, which took out defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk in Game 3 of their series on Friday night.
The Rangers won the game, 3-1, to take a 3-0 series lead in Washington.
With 7:52 left in the first period, van Riemsdyk skated deep into his defensive zone and moved the puck in the opposite direction. Rempe skated straight into him, crushing the defenseman against the end boards. Rempe was given a minor penalty for interference. Van Riemsdyk didn’t return to the game.
The NHL confirmed on Saturday that there would be no Department of Player Safety hearing for Rempe.
The Rangers rookie has made an impact in 17 regular-season and three playoff games, despite limited ice time. Van Riemsdyk is at least the fourth player Rempe has injured on hits since making his NHL debut on Feb. 18. Nathan Bastian and Jonas Siegenthaler of the New Jersey Devils, as well as Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, all had to leave games after Rempe hits. Rempe earned a four-game suspension for his elbow on Siegenthaler and was given a match penalty for the Bastian hit.
The Capitals’ Nic Dowd called out the Rempe hit on van Riemsdyk. “That was a dirty hit. I think anyone can understand that Riems made a play, time passed and a player took advantage of another player in a vulnerable spot,” said Dowd.
Defenseman John Carlson, who skated over 30 minutes in Game 3 because of injuries on the Capitals’ blueline, was exasperated.
“I’m sick and tired of losing defensemen to ‘clean’ hits, that’s for sure. It’s frustrating how guys can get injured and it’s legal,” he said.
Following an optional skate on Saturday, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said he felt Rempe’s hit was borderline.
“I think it’s really close on a lot of fronts: Interference, charging, late. It’s such a fine line. The game is so fast. The physicality is such an important part of the NHL. But there is a line and player safety is a big, big issue in the league. Protecting players. And the onus is on the players. It’s tight. It’s really, really tight,” he said.
“[Van Riemsdyk] just turns. I don’t know if there’s a set amount of time, where they put a guy on a stop clock and it’s one one-thousand, two one-thousand and ‘bang,'” Carbery said, clapping his hands. “But it was really close.”
The Rangers seek to close out the series on Sunday in Washington. Rempe has a goal and no assists in three playoff games. He’s averaging 7:08 per game in ice time, up from 5:38 in the regular season.
