Mark Messier begs Rangers to make this move ahead of Game 2!

Rangers legend Mark Messier had already complained that New York was playing “too careful” and “too conservative,” and after losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final 3-0 at the hands of the Florida Panthers, he now demands that head coach Peter Laviolette insert enforcer Matt Rempe back into the lineup. Speaking during the second intermission on ESPN, Messier basically begged the Rangers to put the bruising fowrard pack on the ice for Game 2 at Madison Square Garden on Friday evening.

“They gotta get themselves emotional,” Messier said. “Maybe they should think about having [Matt] Rempe in the lineup. … I’m not questioning the coach, but I am saying he does get in on the forecheck. He does ground and pound. He does get the crowd involved and the players seem to follow that kind of mindset.

“Right now they’re playing, in my opinion, they’re a little too careful.”

Messier has always loved the way Rempe’s been playing and strongly believe his grit is missing for New York.

I’m thinking everything is on the table as of Friday morning ahead of tonight’s contest, especially since the loss in Game 1 was the first time the Rangers had been shut out at home dating back to the first round of the playoffs in 2016.

Rempe could be one way to go, or the way to go if you agree with Messier, but let’s not forget how some key players are getting better and how it may not be the best thing for the bruiser, especially with a guy like Blake Wheeler feeling better.
In their second round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Rempe was already the odd man out in the press box for three out of the six games and has only averaged 6:18 minutes of ice time through these playoffs. In a total of seven games in the postseason, Rempe has tallied just one goal.

Messier believes he has more in store and would love to see him play in this series.

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