It’s safe to say Matt Puempel is a big fan of his recent change of scenery.
The 2012 first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators was recently placed on waivers and claimed by the New York Rangers. In his debut on Friday, Puempel scored on a breakaway, exceeding his production with the Senators in 2016-17 after one match (0 points in 13 games).
Welcome to #NYR Matt Puempel!! A 🚨 in his Rangers debut!! https://t.co/6eFZOVrlvJ
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 25, 2016
Puempel wasn’t shy about taking a shot at the Senators, saying the Rangers let him play without “barking” at him.
“They let you play here, they let you play to your strengths,” Puempel told the New York Post after the Rangers’ 3-2 victory over the Flyers on Friday. “They know there are going to be mistakes. They’re not barking at you every time you come off the ice. It’s beneficial.”
He also called the Senators style out and praised the Rangers for managing his ice-time.
“In Ottawa there for a while it was getting a little repetitious; chip the puck, chase the puck,” he said. “I think this was the most minutes I’ve played in a long time. The more minutes you get, the better you play. You’re more engaged.”
How did Sens coach Guy Boucher respond?
Boucher refused to respond to Matt Puempel's comment. "I don't want to hear about another team's player. He's not here. I wish him well."
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) November 26, 2016
Puempel is barking back at the Sens coaching staff for his perception of opportunity. But, Puempel’s long been dogged with ice-time issues long before Boucher arrived. A change of scenery was needed. Puempel should have left it at that.
