The Rangers and Devils met for the third time this season on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

It was a rematch from over two weeks ago. In that game, which was played at The Prudential Center on Feb. 22, it was all Blueshirts. They dominated for an easy 5-1 win.

Matt Rempe played his third NHL game in Newark. He didn’t stick around for long. He caught Devils forward Nathan Bastian with a hit to the head that resulted in a match penalty. Jonas Siegenthaler jumped in for Bastian during a scrum. Rempe finished with 17 penalty minutes and an early shower.

Facing the bitter Hudson rival again, Rempe declined Kurtis MacDermid’s early challenge on his first shift. He was focused on playing hockey. That would be the case for nearly two periods.

After a scoreless first where the Rangers had an Artemi Panarin goal overturned due to an offsides challenge, they struck twice in the second half of the middle stanza.

First, Mika Zibanejad finally scored a goal at five-on-five. It came due to a Jack Roslovic forecheck that allowed Chris Kreider to set up Zibanejad in front for a backhand past new Devils goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. It definitely was a huge relief.

With less than a minute left in the period, Rempe won an offensive draw. That allowed Jimmy Vesey and Zac Jones to get the puck over for an Erik Gustafsson point shot that Kahkonen couldn’t pick up due to Rempe standing directly in front. It was Gustafsson’s sixth goal.

However, Rempe got himself in trouble on the remainder of the shift. On a play at center ice, he came across to deliver a hit after Siegenthaler dumped the puck in. Unfortunately, the 21-year-old rookie caught Siegenthaler with a high left elbow that led to him being ejected for an elbowing major.

It was the right call. Rempe came too high on the hit, making it illegal. It’s all about timing. With it being his second game misconduct, he could hear from the league Department Player of Safety tomorrow. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’s suspended for a couple of games.

Rempe is a big man. The six-foot eight forward is still learning. He will have to make an adjustment moving forward. When he’s on the ice, he’s an effective player who can forecheck and screen opposing goalies. Nobody wants to be on the receiving end of one of his hits. The key is to keep it clean.

The Rangers can’t keep killing off major penalties. The Devils only were credited with two shots on goal during the five-minute power play that carried over to the third period. They’re playing out the string. They’ve gotten no bump from the coaching change. That about sums them up.

In the third, a Simon Nemec goal with Kahkonen pulled came with 2:34 remaining. That was the only shot that beat Jonathan Quick, who was sharp when he had to be – finishing with 19 saves on 20 shots. The Devils didn’t muster much.

Vincent Trocheck sealed the victory with an empty netter.

Afterward, MacDermid voiced his displeasure with Rempe. He felt that the rookie should’ve answered the bell for the Bastian hit.

Depending on what side you’re on, you can make a case either way. If you’re the Rangers, you don’t want Rempe fighting that early in a game. He can do it on his terms. It never materialized.

On the flip side, the Devils got MacDermid for this game. They were tired of seeing opponents run roughshod on their star players. Obviously, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier need protection.

MacDermid’s job is simple. Finish checks. Make players accountable. You can understand where he’s coming from. Rempe took eight shifts for a total of 4:48 of ice time. His faceoff win and screen led to Gustafsson getting the game-winner.

The Rangers visit the Hurricanes for a big division showdown tomorrow night. If they don’t have Rempe available, Jonny Brodzinski will come back into the lineup.

There’s one regular season meeting left between the Rangers and Devils. It’ll be on Apr. 3. That isn’t that far away. Maybe there’ll be some fireworks. If they’re set off, we’ll know why.