Matt Rempe’s return to the NY Rangers ended quickly on Friday, as he was ejected after elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen in the third period. Rempe hit Heiskanen from behind, with his elbow making contact with Heiskanen’s head. Officials gave him a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.

The 22-year-old ended his night with five hits and 17 penalty minutes in 5:27 of play. It was Rempe’s fourth ejection in 22 NHL games. The Rangers had hoped he would bring energy to their lineup, but the ejection wasn’t what they wanted.

However, since it happened at 07:13 in the third period, it didn’t affect the Rangers’ play, who had a 2-1 lead. NY Rangers coach Peter Laviolette praised Rempe’s efforts despite the penalty.

“I thought he had a big impact in the game. I would like to stay away from the five-minute major, but he’s doing his best to hit bodies and make a difference in the game. Our guys really rallied around that, as well.”

The Rangers killed off the penalty and won 3-1, with Chris Kreider’s late goal. It’s uncertain if Rempe will face further disciplinary action from the NHL.

Apart from Matt Rempe, Laviolette praised NY Rangers’ $92M goalie Igor Shesterkin

The NY Rangers won 3-1 against the Dallas Stars, thanks to Igor Shesterkin’s standout performance in the net. Roope Hintz gave the Stars the lead at 1:46 in the first period with a shot from the slot. Reilly Smith made it 1-1 at 10:44 with a shorthanded breakaway goal after a turnover by Thomas Harley.

Vincent Trocheck put the Rangers back in front at 15:20 with a slap shot from the left circle before Chris Kreider scored an empty-net goal at 17:54 to confirm the victory.

Igor Shesterkin, who’s signed on a $92 million deal, made 41 saves. The Rangers killed off all seven of Dallas’s power plays. Laviolette praised Shesterkin and said (per NHL.com):

“(Shesterkin) was great in net, but the penalty killers were fantastic. We had some power plays too, so that stresses a lot of guys as far as the minutes go. Guys were resilient tonight to stay with it. Just a really good win.”

Artemi Panarin returned from injury and assisted on the first goal as the win snapped the NY Rangers’ three-game losing streak. The Rangers are 16-15-1 in 32 games. They are fifth in the Metropolitan Division, which is led by the Washington Capitals with 46 points.