Adam Edstrom had never actually dropped the gloves and fought someone in his entire hockey career until Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
The 6-foot-7 rookie was caught in a scuffle in front of the net with less than two minutes of ice time logged in the Rangers’ 6-5 overtime loss to Utah.
From a faceoff at center ice, Edstrom and the rest of the fourth line created a chance off the rush that was swallowed by Utah goaltender Connor Ingram.
Adam Edstrom gets into an argument during the Rangers’ loss to Utah on October 12, 2024. Getty Images
Utah forward Jack McBain began jabbing Edstrom while Sam Carrick and Michael Kesselring scuffled behind him.
By the time Edstrom and McBain hung up their gloves, they were deemed a secondary fight to break out and were found guilty of match misconduct.
So has Edstrom been preparing for this moment this summer?
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve talked to this guy,” Edstrom said with a smile, gesturing to Matt Rempe at the locker next to him. “He knows what he’s doing out there. Make sure you protect yourself no matter what happens.”
Edstrom was unaware that Carrick and Kesselring had begun fighting when they began engaging McBain. He credited the Swedes with holding out until the end in the melee.
This effectively ended Edstrom’s night.
October 12, 2024 Adam Edstrom gets into an altercation during the Rangers’ loss to Utah. From NHLI, Getty Images
Peter Laviolette said whenever a player adds another layer to his game, the Rangers head coach sees it as a positive.
“We played okay,” Edstrom said of his front. “I played pretty solid in the first game and got a plus-1 rating. Yesterday I might have had a more inconsistent game. Whenever I go into a game, I bring energy to the team, get the puck deep, I feel like I’m just trying to play a solid game.”
Ryan Lindgren continues to practice with the Rangers wearing a green non-contact jersey and full face shield.
Following Sunday’s optional practice, the Rangers will face the Red Wings twice in four nights.
It functions as a kind of at-home series on Mondays and Thursdays.
Starting Monday at Madison Square Garden, the Blueshirts will head to Detroit for the second game on Thursday, which also marks the beginning of a three-city road trip.
The Rangers then head to Toronto and Montreal.
