A Rempe Plus-Minus -- Good On Offense, But A Thoughtful Nix To Fight Olivier

Madison Square Garden’s capacity for New York Rangers games is listed at 18,006.

My guess is that 18,002 showed up last night to see Matt Rempe show up Mathieu Olivier of the Blue Jackets.

It’s now in the books that last Sunday, Olivier not only blackened Rempe’s left eye so badly it looked like a piece of burnt toast imitating a donut, but he also gave the steeple-like Ranger a crash course in boxing by slamming about 13 shots to Rempe’s schnozz and cranium.

Hey, ya win some and ya lose some.

As luck would have it, Rempe had a chance for revenge a mere three days later; as in last night at the Garden. The promise was enormous; Major Ranger vs. Darth Vader.

In an earlier clubhouse media schmooze with reporters, Rempe regaled the media with how much he likes a good scrap and how it helps a team and how he just might toss a beak-buster or two at that Bad, Baaahd Blue Jacket.

Might makes right. Right? Not when Rempe’s right fist stays close to his vest.

With that in mind — and I don’t mind telling you, at great expense — The Maven hired a Rempe-tracker to pinpoint how the potential heavyweight bout with Olivier begins and ends. My expensive tracker also would determine how well The Skating Giraffe plays for his hockey team.

No need to bore you with the gory details other than to say that, as a rookie fourth-liner, Matt did his job well. In fact, I’ll simplify the very complicated analytics for your pleasure and insights:

First Period: Four shifts, good hustle, forechecks well, got an ovation. His grades — mostly A’s as in very good, say he’s earning his dollars. The crowd’s acclaim on every shift, says he’s way underpaid.

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Second Period: Same as first; doing his job well. On the fourth shift he actually made contact with Olivier. Like the Staten Island ferries passing in the night.

(Gosh darn it, this might have been the perfect time to get even; start the fight, but no such thing developed.) On the fifth shift, Rempe again made contact with The Bad Guy. (What? Again no hostilities?) Like the Staten Island ferry bumping into its slip.

Also in the middle period, Olivier delivered a cheap shot to Vincent Trocheck. Rempe was on the ice. This could have been — dare I say should have been — IT. Egad!

Not an upper cut was thrown. Not a word was spoken, Peace in our time.

How awful! Ha.

According to my expensive Rempe tracker, the final report goes as follows: “Overall he played well in both the first and second periods BUT HE DID NOT GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO SEEK ANYTHING WITH OLIVIER.

My Rempe Tracker had him taking 11 shifts for a total of 7:42 minutes on the ice. He had four hits and two scoring chances and was benched in the third period for win-preservation purposes.

Putting it in boxing terms, Olivier remains the NHL’s Unofficial Heavyweight champion.

His challenger never challenged when the opportunities presented themselves.

The Rangers won on the scoreboard, 4-1, and Rempe’s black eye should be gone before he next visits his favorite Westchester Cheesecake emporium.

So, what does this all mean, really?

1. Rempe remains the unchallenged fan favorite in Rangerville with no runner-up. By far!

2. From a practical team viewpoint — not to mention p.r. — GM Drury has to decide whether to keep Man Mountain Matt wit the big club. (Keep him says The Maven. Don’t lose this precious asset.)

3. THN/Rangers hockey site editor David Kolb says, “If Rempe learns to become a stronger skater and begins to cut and turn on his edges better, he might have a chance.”

4. In less than two weeks Rempe has become more popular than the “People’s Choice” of the 1994 Cup team, Alexei Kovalev.

5. Matt has that “Nice Guy” Calgary air about him coupled with an intuitive positive way with fans. Away from the rink, he’s Mister Nice Guy — Very high, though.

6. Just a hunch but I suspect that the NHL is just as happy that there was not a second grudge rematch.

Maven’s conclusion: If Rempe doesn’t want to fight Olivier, I have no problem with that. His natural fourth line assets outweigh anything that his belligerence might have added.

But for one night, I would say that 18,002 fans had hoped that the guy who exited the arena with one black eye was Mathieu Olivier and not the Rangers spanking new “People’s Choice.”