TORONTO — The Rangers and Maple Leafs will compete in Hockey Night at the Ring of Canada on Saturday as each team plays their most successful games of their respective seasons.
Rounding out the top five teams in the Eastern Conference, both clubs will face off in a litmus test contest that will not only affect the standings, but also feature two generations of NHL enforcers in each corner.
Maple Leafs side: Ryan Reeves, 37 years old, 6-foot-2, 226 pounds.
Rangers side: Matt Lempe, 21 years old, 6-foot-8 1/2, 245 pounds.
There have been conversations with Lempe about his newfound celebrity as the league’s newest face puncher, so it’s not guaranteed whether the Rangers rookie will accept an affiliation with one of the league’s last throwback fighters or start a tilt.
But Reeves dusted off his fist Thursday in his first game since October against the Coyotes’ Liam O’Brien.
He then answered questions about Matt Lempe on Friday.
“He’s coming in. [the] The league is trying to make a name for itself in any way it can,” Reeves told reporters. “That’s how I came in. I wasn’t called to score, that’s for sure.” It was to be physical, stand up for my teammates and bring energy.
“He’s been good. He’s getting attention, so let’s see how long it lasts.”
Asked about the possibility of a showdown with Rempe, Reeves was nonchalant.
“I don’t have a script for the game,” he said. “But you never know.”
Reeves, who played 81 games with the Rangers over two seasons before being traded to Minnesota last year, is in the same situation he was in at the end of his tenure in New York.
After skating in the first 14 games, Reeves has been in and out of the lineup ever since, partly due to injuries and mostly due to coaching decisions.
But since he’s appeared in the last four consecutive championships and 11 of the past 13, there’s a good chance Reeves will be on the ice at the same time as Rempe.
It became a hot topic that the NHL’s tough guys were aggressively pursuing Lempe through the first six games.
Equally noteworthy is how the Rangers managed to stop it.
Rempe and the rest of the line, Adam Edstrom and Barclay Goodrow, will be able to provide strength on the forecheck.
In just 21 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time, the Rangers had one point, no runs, and a 14-9 advantage in scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.
“Certainly, I think he brings energy,” Laviolette said of Rempe last week. “He’s a big guy, skates hard, gets on the forecheck. He’s done a lot of body pounding for us. His line gets behind the defense many times and turns the puck over. , brought the puck to the net and scored a goal. They’ve produced some goals in the last few games in the amount of time they’ve been given. I think they’ve done a good job.
“They bring the energy. Eddie brings the energy, Rempe brings the energy. Goody is a mentor to both of them and always makes sure to talk to them and communicate with them. They bring the game. It had a positive impact.”
The Rangers signed Connor McKee to a two-year, two-way extension with a cap hit of $775,000 on Friday, according to sources.
The 27-year-old defenseman played in one game for the Rangers this season on Jan. 27 in Ottawa, during which McKee dropped gloves with Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
McKee had two goals and nine assists in 36 AHL games for the Wolfpack this season.
