COLOMBUS, Ohio — Earlier in the third term of the Rangers' final 3-2 overtime victory on Thursday night, Minnesota skated Matt Lempe and bounced off his big 22-year-old body.
Judge Brandon Brandina charged Lempe for interference, and Wild went out for a power play, and they scored to tie the game together in one-all.
“REF came out and apologised for the third time,” Lempe said after practicing optional Rangers at the Ohio Health Chiller Ice Rink Friday afternoon. “He stood up and said it looked terrible from his angle and stuff. He just said he made a mistake. You make a mistake. That's what happens. That's the reality.
“I think it's like that in itself and in itself, and I think it's going to happen. I think my game is coming out well, so try and keep working on my game.”
This wasn't the first time that it had happened to Lempe. Lempe has, of course, gained a reputation in the NHL due to two multi-game suspensions packed into his first 48 regular-season appearances in the league.
This was something Lempe had to navigate from his time in the Western Hockey League.
The Calgary native, who always has a mature perspective, is not the exact same bias he deals with in juniors.
On Tuesday in Winnipeg, Lempe was rated as a suspicious goaltender interference penalty by the same reference Blandina early in the second term of the 2-1 Rangers' loss.
Former Blues Heart Morgan Baron blatantly pushed Lempe into Jets goalkeeper Connor Helebuick, but No. 73 was punished in the same way.
The Jets continued to score on that power play as well. This was ultimately the winner of the game.
“There's always a conversation going on,” Director Peter LaViolet said when asked if Rangers could handle issues in the NHL. “The game happens quickly, but when it comes to Matt, he's just trying to benefit from his doubts from time to time.”
Lempe is happy with his game despite some of the unfair hiccups in several past contests.
Especially in the situation in the third season when he was steadily watching ice time, Lempe tried to keep an eye on his hits.
Then, while holding the puck on his stick, much more recently, the 6-foot-8½ forward feels confident in his trajectory in his goal of becoming a real force in the NHL.
The only Rempe that has finished with a negative rating in the last 10 games was the Rangers' 7-3 loss to Columbus last weekend.
With the two teams set to resemble the main showdowns of Saturday night's playoff position, Rempe will stick to what has worked for him so far.
“I haven't changed my game, but I feel like I'm going to be quick, physical and play,” he said. “My game needs to guide speed and physicality. …If I'm starting to turn and trying to be careful, it's not me. It's not my game. The farthest thing I want to be is a big teddy bear. That's the last thing I want to be.”
