Rempe's late scratch tonight causes controversy with Rangers

The puck is set to drop at Madison Square Garden on a holiday match between the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings and for the second time in three games Rangers forward Matt Rempe will watch from the press box.

Rempe has been made a scratch for tonight's game and Rangers reporter Larry Brooks is reporting on some potential controversy in New York as a result. To be clear, Brooks is a big fan of Rempe and has made it clear that he personally is frustrated by head coach Peter Laviolette's lineup decisions so far this season. There's a concern that if Laviolette continues to scratch Rempe, he could alienate his players and create a bit of a lineup controversy.

From Brooks' article today for The New York Post:

I don’t get it.

I don’t get it.

I don’t get why Big Matt Rempe is a healthy scratch for this game after getting seven shifts worth a sum of 3:40 in Saturday night’s 6-5 OT defeat to Utah after having been scratched for last Wednesday’s opener in Pittsburgh.

Listen, this is no disrespect directed at Jonny Brodzinski, who replaced Rempe in Games 1 and 3, or perhaps it is more accurate to suggest Rempe replaced Brodzinski for the home opener. Brodzinski is one of the best 750 hockey players in the world. He had an excellent camp.

But let me ask you: Which of these two players would present more of a threat to the Florida Panthers in the conference finals, or to the 2025 version of the Florida Panthers, because there’s always a bigger, stronger, more physical opponent under the rainbow?

I don’t get it.

I don’t get this at all.

- Larry Brooks

Brooks' contention is that Laviolette and the Rangers need not worry about icing their most optimal lineup each night and instead should be using the regular season as a way to get their game-plan in place for the playoffs. 

That's right... the playoffs... a short 6 months away...

Look, I've been a read of Brooks' for a long-time, but if he thinks that scratching an enforcer in Game 3 of the regular season is going to have an impact come April and the 1st round of the playoffs... he's off his rocker.

It's clear that Brooks loves Rempe as a player and what he brings to the Rangers team. That's all fine and well... but let's get some perspective here. The Rangers will be just fine if Laviolette elects to dress Brodzinski over Rempe for the indefinite future.