Rangers' Adam Edstrom handles himself well in first NHL fight 

GREENBURGH — For a guy who had never done this before, Adam Edstrom sure seemed to know what he was doing Saturday night in his second-period fight with Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain during the Rangers’ home opener at Madison Square Garden.

“Yeah, that’s the first one,’’ Edstrom said after the Rangers’ optional practice Sunday when he was asked if this was his first hockey fight.

Edstrom, a 6-6 rookie from Sweden (he used to be listed at 6-7, but the Rangers revised that this season), celebrated his 24th birthday on Saturday and got into his first fight in the middle of a wild second period in the Rangers’ 6-5 overtime loss.

On the faceoff after K’Andre Miller’s second-period goal pulled the Rangers within 4-3, Edstrom drove up the middle and fired a shot that forced a save from Utah goalie Connor Ingram. Edstrom’s pal Matt Rempe also had driven hard to the net and pushed Utah defenseman Juuso Valimaki into the crease, which started a scrum.

As soon as it started, Rangers center Sam Carrick and Utah defenseman Michael Kesselring peeled off and started throwing punches at one another. While that was happening, McBain, a 6-4, 219-pound center who had a goal in the game, paired up with Edstrom and dropped his gloves. Edstrom immediately dropped his and it was on. Edstrom landed only one punch, but it was a thunderous overhand right that caught the helmetless McBain flush in the temple and bloodied him.

Edstrom said he was prepared to fight because he’d been getting tips from the 6-9 Rempe (his listed height went up). He’s been almost inseparable from Rempe in the locker room since the two came up from AHL Hartford last season.

“Oh, we just go out there sometimes and, like, wrestle around and show grips and stuff like that,’’ Rempe said when asked about his fight tutelage. “He’s a big, strong guy, so he can take care of himself.’’

Sitting in the locker next to Edstrom on Sunday, Rempe grinned like a proud big brother.

“It was awesome,’’ he said. “I was very excited for him.’’

Edstrom and McBain were given game misconduct penalties for their fight because Carrick and Kesselring already were fighting by the time they dropped their gloves. Edstrom said he had no idea Carrick and Kesselring were fighting. “No, I did not,’’ he said. “I guess that fight kind of started behind my back, and we were kind of getting into, I guess, a scrum, net front. And then it happened.’’

As he talked about the adrenaline rush he got from the fight, Edstrom made it sound as if he might be willing to do it again at some point. “I mean, yeah, it was all right,’’ he said. “  ‘Big up’ to that guy [McBain] too. He’s not a small guy, either. But, I mean, we were scrapping, so yeah, it was fun.’’

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette   was asked what it might mean for Edstrom as a player if fighting is now part of his game. “Any time you start adding layers to your game, you’re adding pieces that can help the team, that’s a good thing,’’ he said.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.