"Has to be a hearing for this hit": NHL fans left divided as Matthew Rempe set to get away for hit on Nate Bastian

On Thursday night, the Rangers' Matthew Rempe physically dominated on the ice in a commanding 5-1 win over the Devils at the Prudential Center. The highlight of the game, or perhaps the lowlight, occurred early in Rempe's first shift.

He delivered a forceful hit along the boards to Nathan Bastian, resulting in a broken stick for the New Jersey forward. The hit sent Bastian straight to the Devils' locker room.

Bastian's head took the brunt of the impact, which immediately drew the ire of Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. He wasted no time challenging Rempe, leading to a quick altercation between the two players.

Despite the brevity of the scuffle, the 6-foot-8 ½ Rempe took down Siegenthaler with just two punches, showcasing his physicality.

Rempe's night was over as he earned both a roughing penalty and a match penalty for the hit on Bastian. The match penalty signaled an early exit for Rempe from the game. This left the Rangers without their forward for the remainder of the contest.

Following the incident, B/R Open Ice shared a video post on X highlighting the hit and the ensuing penalties. Notably, NHL insider Frank Seravalli chimed in:

"Not expecting a hearing for #NYR Rempe for this hit on #njdevils Bastian. Big man making a full-body hit."

This statement from Seravalli triggered a range of reactions from NHL fans who observed the video on X.

"That's a clear elbow to the head," one fan tweeted. "Has to be a hearing for this hit. It's an unfortunate incident. Probably not intentional. However, if the league wants consistency, a hearing is needed."

Contrastingly, another fan seemed to applaud the decision not to pursue further action against Rempe.

"This is great," the fan tweeted. "Just because he’s a giant doesn’t mean he can’t hit other players who are smaller than him. Smart decision (or non-decision). If only the same logic was applied to Rielly."

A third fan disputed the characterization of the hit as a full-body impact.

"Definitely not a full-body hit. Elbow to the head lol," the fan tweeted.

Another fan took a more extreme stance, dismissing the notion that the hit deserved any penalty at all.

"It's not even a penalty," the fan tweeted.

Matthew Rempe's Rangers dismantle Devils

The New York Rangers extended their winning streak to nine games by defeating the New Jersey Devils 5-1.

Mika Zibanejad emphasized the team's confidence in their penalty kill:

"I think we really never let them get set...."

Captain Jacob Trouba highlighted the team's renewed focus on penalty killing:

"We answered and put more details into it..."

Alexis Lafreniere scored two goals, and Zibanejad added one, emphasizing the importance of their penalty kill. The Rangers are now within a win of tying their franchise's longest winning streak.