There of all people was Pavel Buchnevich dropping his gloves to square off with Calgary’s Kris Versteeg 4:50 into the third period on Sunday of what was then a 2-2 match at the Garden that would become a 4-3 victory for the Rangers.
And here is the origin of the scrap as told to The Post by the Blueshirts’ rookie from Russia: “Chopping me with stick. He say, ‘Yes.’ I say, ‘No.’ He say, ‘Yes.’ I say, ‘Yes.’”
So the two went at it briefly after Versteeg did indeed initiate the encounter with a two-hander and another hard chop across Buchnevich’s torso shortly after the faceoff that followed the Flames’ tying goal at 4:40. The Calgary winger, who would get a game misconduct because his jersey was not tied down, threw a couple of ineffectual quick ones before the enemy combatants tumbled to the ice when Buchnevich lost his balance after tripping over his stick.
Alain Vigneault laughed long and hard — “Aahahaahaa” is about the translation of the coach’s immediate reaction — when asked for his take on the scuffle.
“I’m not sure that was the definition of a fight, but I do think it’s great,” said the coach, whose team faces the Ducks at the Garden on Tuesday. “It wasn’t really fair, Versteeg didn’t have his sweater tied, and as soon as he pushed, [that was it]. It sort of felt we were back in the ‘80s when that was the constant way of fighting.
“But you’ve got to stand up for yourself and be accounted for, and I think that’s what Pavel was doing. That means there’s a lot of heart there and definitely something to work with.”
Not the greatest strategy from Buchnevich there #NYR pic.twitter.com/hmHCONY7Ug
— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) February 5, 2017
The fight was the first in which a Ranger of Russian heritage was involved since Nov. 26, 2008, when Nikolay Zherdev and Steven Stamkos dropped the gloves in Tampa Bay during the first period of a Rangers 3-2 shootout victory in which Zherdev scored the winner and for which Henrik Lundqvist was in nets.
“It is impressive the way he stepped up like that. It’s too bad he stepped on his stick because I would have liked to see how it would end,” Lundqvist said of his current teammate following Monday’s practice. “He’s a great guy, and the guys really appreciate what he does here. He works hard, has a great attitude and something like that just adds to it.
“I was impressed.”
The 21-year-old Buchnevich, however, was not.
“No big deal,” he said, shrugging. “No big deal.”
Marc Staal, who missed Monday’s practice after reporting to the rink still feeling the effects of the flu that limited him to one shift over the final 13:00 on Sunday, is questionable for Tuesday. If the alternate captain, who has played three games after missing nine with post-concussion symptoms, cannot go, Nick Holden will switch to the left side while Adam Clendening rejoins the lineup.
Chris Kreider has equaled his personal-best total of 21 goals that he established each of the past two seasons. The winger (21-16 after 21-22 last year and 21-25 in 2014-15) has scored 17 goals in his last 24 games including 12 in the last 17.
The match against the Ducks is the second of this four-game homestand against Western Conference clubs preceding contests against the Predators on Thursday and the Avalanche on Saturday.
“With four in a row, I think it’s important that we take one at a time here and make the most of every game,” said Lundqvist, 5-1-0/.933/2.02 with a no-decision in his seven starts since the Jan. 17 debacle against Dallas. “[Sunday] was definitely a good game and something to build off.”
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