Artemi Panarin back from injury, Matt Rempe returns from AHL for Rangers against Stars
The New York Rangers got a shot of offense for their game against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Friday night when Artemi Panarin returned after missing two games with an upper-body injury. Matt Rempe was also in the lineup after returning from Hartford of the American Hockey League.
Panarin said after the morning skate that he was feeling better, and that he and the trainers would make the decision about whether he would play. The Rangers’ leading scorer with 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) said he doesn’t enjoy watching games from the press box, joking that there are “too many hot dogs.” He was on the left wing with his regular linemates — center Vincent Trocheck and right wing Alexis Lafreniere — during pregame line rushes.
The Rangers deeply felt Panarin’s absence in the two games he’s missed. They lost 3-2 to the Blues at St. Louis on Sunday, then were shut out 2-0 by the Nashville Predators, the NHL’s worst team at the time, on Tuesday.
Forwards Jimmy Vesey and Jonny Brodzinski were healthy scratches.
Rempe eager to show he’s improved after time in AHL
Rempe was recalled from Hartford after the Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. He’s scoreless in four games with the Rangers this season and had five points (three goals, two assists) in 18 games with Hartford.
The 6-foot-9 forward brings a physical element the Rangers have been missing – they’ve been much too easy to play against during a 3-11-0 slide that has dropped them to NHL .500 at 15-15-1 after a 12-4-1 start.
“I want to be myself, bring a lot of energy, bring speed, physicality — just play my game,” he said after the morning skate. “Bring some youthful energy and try to do the best I can do. Go have fun, play hard, get under the other team’s skin. Try to be a menace. Be good.”
The Rangers sent Rempe down to Hartford to give him an opportunity to work on the non-physical aspects of his game. His physical play is one thing, but he can’t earn enough playing time to be useful without improving his skating and passing.
He said his time in Hartford has been helpful in that regard.
“It’s huge,” he said. “Playing around 18 minutes a night. PK, power play, everything. Going against the other team’s top players. 6-on-5 situations, defensively … long term, it’s going to help me a lot. I think my game has come along a lot in the last month.”
Coach Peter Laviolette has been pleased with Rempe’s development in the AHL.
“He’s playing really well down there,” the coach said. “Just being effective at what he’s doing. For us, I think just a change sometimes is good, as well. What we’re doing needs to change, so you try different pieces.”
Defenseman Will Borgen, who was acquired from Seattle in the trade that sent Kakko to the Kraken, was in the lineup to make his Rangers debut. He was paired with Braden Schneider, who moved to the left side to accommodate Borgen, a right-handed shot. Zac Jones, who has struggled in recent games, was a healthy scratch.
The Rangers are already without defenseman K’Andre Miller, who was placed on injured reserve before the three-game trip began in St. Louis because of an upper-body injury. Miller has resumed skating back in New York, but there’s no date set for his return. The Rangers return home after the game against the Stars to host the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, then visit the New Jersey Devils on Monday afternoon to finish the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule.
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