Braden Schneider learning to play a physical role for Rangers

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — As soon as Kaapo Kakko scored to extend the Rangers’ lead to 5-1 late in the third period of Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Devils on Thursday night, the Rangers who went on the ice for the next shift had an inkling of what would come next.

“Yeah, for sure,’’ defenseman Niko Mikkola said after the Rangers’ practice Friday. “You know it’s basically Game Over at that point, and they put the fourth line on and you know like they’re going to finish the checks for sure.

“And I was going to just play it cool . . . we don’t need to like do anything crazy. Let them do what they need to do.’’

Said Mikkola’s defense partner, Braden Schneider: “If we were in that same situation, I’m sure we would be wanting to make sure that a message was sent.’’

After the faceoff, the puck got dumped into the Rangers’ zone and Schneider went to retrieve it in the corner. He was checked hard into the boards by the Devils’ Michael McLeod and both players immediately dropped their gloves and started fighting.

“He’s trying to do something for their team to show them that he cares,’’ Schneider said. “And I’m just trying to battle out there, too. I’m fighting for every inch, and I want to try and win as many battles as I can.’’

It ended up being a good old-fashioned hockey fight — neither combatant trying to tie up the other guy and play any defense, just two guys throwing a flurry of hard punches.

“He did good,’’ Mikkola said of Schneider. “It was a good- looking fight.’’

“I couldn’t tell you what happened in the fight when it’s happening,’’ Schneider said. “You kind of just go blank and try to throw punches and not get hit. So it’s a bit of survival out there and you kind of black out. But it’s all part of the game.’’

It’s a part of the game Schneider, 21, is learning at the NHL level. He fought only once in junior hockey and not at all in the minor leagues. But he throws heavy body checks, and he’s learning in the NHL that if you do that, you are going to have to fight once in a while, even if the checks are clean.

His first fight came a year ago against the Devils’ Yegor Sharangovich. He fought twice this season, against Boston’s A.J. Greer in November and against Tampa Bay’s Ross Colton on April 5.

“I guess I’m feeling more confident in my role to this team and I know I’ve got to play physical,’’ Schneider said. “You see guys like [Jacob] Trouba assert themselves in many different ways out there, and I think watching him and learning from him, I’ve been able to assert myself.

“I’ve always been a physical player. But when you’re physical and you’re trying to make a difference for your team out there that way, it’s going to come. So I guess [it is] a bit of learning on the job.’’

Notes & quotes: Forwards Patrick Kane, Chris Kreider and Tyler Motte and defenseman K’Andre Miller did not take part in the Rangers’ optional practice. Game 3 is Saturday at Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m.

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.