Postgame takeaways: Rempe vs. Reaves, Rangers' top-six imbalance and more

The NHL playoffs are inching closer, with the final full month of the regular season offering the Rangers an up-close look at their top competition.

Saturday's clash in Toronto, which included a highly anticipated bout between rookie sensation Matt Rempe and old-school brawler Ryan Reaves, was an entertaining way to kick off the stretch run.

It ended with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs, with plenty of highs and lows on the path to a hard-earned point.

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Vincent Trocheck ensured the Rangers (40-17-4) wouldn't come home empty-handed by netting the tying goal with 1:07 remaining in regulation, capping another big night for his line with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière. But his attempt to extend the shootout hit the post, giving Toronto an ever-so-slight edge in a memorable showdown between two of the Eastern Conference's best.

Next up is a visit from the defending conference champion Florida Panthers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Rempe vs. Reaves

There were a few run-ins between Rempe and Reaves throughout the game, with the latter chirping the former whenever he got the chance.

Perhaps Reaves wanted to humble the 6-foot-8 rookie, who has captured the attention of the league by dropping the gloves in four of his first five games, or just get his own piece of the spotlight. Whatever the motive, it was clear the 37-year-old veteran had it out for the towering forward who's 16 years his junior.

For the first 50-plus minutes, Rempe didn't take the bait. Both teammates and head coach Peter Laviolette have had recent conversations with him about protecting himself and not feeling obligated to accept every challenge. The frequent fights were creating a sideshow atmosphere, along with concerns about the risks of repeated blows to the head.

But when Reaves approached him for the final time with 5:59 to play, pride took over. Rempe hesitated for a moment and looked to the Rangers' bench for direction, with a few teammates motioning for him to go ahead. Once he got the green light, it was on.

Rempe grabbed a hold of Reaves' jersey with his left hand and used his long reach to throw a series of quick jabs. That kept his opponent at a relatively safe distance and allowed the rookie to unload a few right-handed punches, but the experienced Reaves eventually worked his way into position for some big overhand rights of his own.

Rempe was on the receiving end of at least a few grimacing blows to the head, but still held his own against one of the baddest dudes to ever lace them up.

The legend continues grow, even as reality sinks in that no one can maintain this kind of fighting pace.

Panarin, Trocheck and Lafrenière do it again

Getting back to the actual hockey, it's hard to imagine what the Rangers' five-on-five offense would look like if Laviolette hadn't put Panarin, Trocheck and Lafrenière together early and let them cook.

Consider this: Eleven New York line combinations have logged 50 minutes or more this season, according to moneypuck.com, with those units combining for 85 total goals. The Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière line has produced 37 of them, or 43.5%. And if you include the 10 games Panarin and Lafrenière played with Filip Chytil before his season-ending injury, that line is responsible for 43 goals, which works out to 50.6%.

Two of them came Saturday, with the dynamic trio once again leading the scoring charge.

Lafrenière got it started with his 18th goal of the season − a screaming wrist shot from the high slot that exploded into the top-left corner of the goal and ricocheted in off the inside of the post. It was setup by a savvy pass from Adam Fox, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead at the 11:33 mark of the first period.

The Maple Leafs would tie the score at 1-1 early in the second period on a goal from Mitch Marner, but guess who responded to put the Blueshirts back on top?

You got it.

All three members of the Rangers' best line − it's about time we start calling them the top line, too − registered a point on the next goal, which came just 1:09 after Marner's tally.

Panarin found Lafrenière charging down the middle of the ice, who then kicked it to the left wing for the Trocheck finish. The three-on-two rush was sparked by a defensive takeaway from Braden Schneider and a well-placed stretch pass off the wall from Erik Gustafsson, with all five New York skaters playing an important role in the play.

Toronto would score the next two goals to take a 3-2 lead, with both William Nylander and John Tavares benefiting from relatively lucky bounces. Nylander's long wrist shot was accidentally deflected in by Gustafsson, while Tavares had a shot go in off his thigh after it hit Rangers captain Jacob Trouba.

The score remained that way late into the third period, and while Trocheck's tying goal won't get credited to his line because Laviolette had pulled goalie Igor Shesterkin to make it six-on-five, all three earned another point on the play. Panarin ripped a shot from the point, with Lafrenière getting the tip and Trocheck putting in the rebound from a tough angle near the goal line for his second tally of the night and 500th career point.

That moved Panarin up to 84 points (35 goals and 49 assists), as he marches toward what could be his first-ever 100-point season. He's unquestionably the Rangers' MVP, with Trocheck ranking right behind him. The 30-year-old center is second on the team with 58 points (22 goals and 36 assists) and was a deserving all-star selection last month.

But while those two are earning their share of praise, it almost feels like Lafrenière is flying under the radar. That may sound like a wild statement about a former No. 1 overall pick, but he's not getting enough credit for that line's success. He's quietly pacing toward his first 50-point season, with a blossoming combination of confidence, offensive instincts and skill that's coming together before our eyes.

Lafrenière could have even more if he'd converted his chances at a higher rate earlier in the season, but the points have been flowing lately. He has eight in his last seven games, along with four goals in his last five. As a result, he's tied last year's career high with 39 points (18 goals and 21 assists), with 21 games still to play.

Kreider and Zibanejad stay cold at 5v5

On the other hand, imagine what a powerhouse the Rangers would be if their other top line started producing?

Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko were each held off the scoresheet again Saturday, with none registering a five-on-five point in the last four games. In fact, Zibanejad hasn't scored a 5v5 goal since Dec. 23 − a shocking span of 29 games − and is sitting on just five such goals for the season.

A clutch play from that line could have helped the Rangers avoid the shootout altogether, but they spent much of the night hemmed in their own end. They were out-shot by a lopsided 11-2 margin, according to Natural Stat Trick, while struggling to transition pucks from one zone to the next and surrendering six of the Leafs' 15 high-danger scoring chances at 5v5. No other New York line allowed more than three.

Granted, the Zibanejad group often draws the toughest defensive assignments and rarely lets up much. But they're counted on to effectively counter the other team's best, which hasn't been the case often enough this season.

Laviolette cycled a few other right wingers next to Kreider and Zibanejad later in the game, but it didn't make much difference.

Meanwhile, team president Chris Drury is on the hunt for a 1RW solution prior to Friday's 3 p.m. trade deadline. And while there's hope that someone out there can provide a spark, it may be fool's gold to think one new face is all it will take. The onus is on Kreider and Zibanejad − who have remained tied the hip in spite of their underwhelming offensive output − to figure it out before the playoffs.

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Postgame takeaways: Rempe vs. Reaves, Rangers' top-six imbalance, more