In the first period of last night’s game between the Rangers and Sharks, Matt Rempe took on Ryan Reaves in a hockey fight. Following Reaves taking a run at Juuso Parssinen, Rempe challenged the former Rangers enforcer at center ice.

During the tilt, Rempe absorbed some good rights that caused him to lose his balance. Unfazed, he got up and landed a few shots to Reaves. Near the conclusion, Rempe threw some rabbit punches to Reaves’ head. When the fight was broken up, he was seen shaking his right wrist.

Following the scrap, Rempe didn’t return. Afterward, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan indicated that Rempe was being evaluated for an upper-body injury.

As it turns out, even with him showing improvement in the first nine games, the 23-year-old forward still needs to learn what he’s most effective at. Hint: It isn’t fighting. Not with Rempe having a glass jaw. He gets caught with clean shots too often. It’s advisable for him to stick to playing hockey.

With him likely to be sidelined when the Rangers begin a four-game road trip at the Calgary Flames on Sunday night, they recalled Brennan Othmann from the Hartford Wolf Pack earlier today.

For Othmann, it’s another opportunity to prove himself. After a disappointing preseason, he was sent down to Hartford earlier than expected. The emergence of Noah Laba during training camp earned the center a roster spot. Sullivan also waited longer before assigning Gabe Perreault and Brett Berard, who both had better showings than Othmann.

For the 2021 Rangers’ first round pick, this could be his final chance to show that he belongs in the NHL. In 25 career games, Othmann has yet to score a goal. He recorded two assists in 22 games last season in a smaller role under former coach Peter Laviolette.

If there’s one thing that stood out, it’s Othmann’s willingness to get the jersey dirty. He registered 43 hits with the Rangers last season. Aside from the energy he can provide, Othmann has a good attitude. Hopefully, he can continue to bring those qualities while making the case to stay with the big club.

We’ll see how Sullivan uses him. If I were to guess, he’ll start Othmann in the bottom six. The question is what the lines will look like. Considering how well Taylor Raddysh finished Thursday night’s game with J.T. Miller and Conor Sheary, there’s a good chance they’ll stay together this weekend.

By shifting Alexis Lafreniere back with Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, Sullivan slid down Will Cuylle to the third line. Cuylle has had his struggles thus far in his third year, with only one goal. If he stayed on the third line, will it be with Laba or Sam Carrick? The development of Parssinen showing that he can contribute should keep him in the top nine.

That could leave Othmann on the fourth line with Adam Edstrom and either Laba or Carrick. If that’s the case, Othmann will have to make the most of his shifts.

The Western Canadian swing that includes visits to Vancouver and Edmonton before concluding at Seattle is always challenging. Considering that they’ve had much more success on the road, we’ll see if the Rangers can continue an early trend that’s seen them go 3-0-1 away from Madison Square Garden.