Old-school hockey fans would have been delighted to see the Rangers vs. Devils game devolve into an all-out online brawl two seconds into the game Wednesday night.
Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist can be counted among them.
A brawl broke out immediately after the opening confrontation, with Matt Lempe confronting Devils enforcer Curtis McDiarmid and Quandre Miller dropping gloves with John Marino.
Jimmy Vesey fought Curtis Lazar, Barclay Goodrow brawled with Kevin Barr, and Jacob Trouba faced Chris Tierney.
The battle left both the Rangers and Devils with 10 forwards and four defensemen.
NHL on TNT studio staff were watching on monitors, and during the first intermission they played footage of Lundqvist clapping his hands and pumping his fists while watching the scuffle.
The panelists burst out laughing when they saw the video.
Former NHLer Colby Armstrong also got excited after seeing the commotion.
“Is hockey really that great?” he exclaimed during the intermission show. “How good is hockey now? There are so many players with points. There are so many players with goals, can you even tell?”
Former NHL defenseman PK Saban also commented on the game on social media.
“It’s a brawl for everything!!!!!!” Fights in hockey are the best entertainment in sports! period! ! ! ” he wrote to X.
“A literal Royal Rumble to start the Rangers vs. Devils game. How can you not love hockey?!” User X called out..
“TF continues the Rangers Devils game.” written by another person.
Lundqvist is no stranger to lining up for brawls between the Metropolitan Division rivals, having been on the ice once in 2012.
I dropped my gloves after 3 seconds. To the Devils vs. Rangers game on March 19, 2012.
“[Then-Rangers coach John Tortorella] “I looked at the Devils’ starting lineup and wasn’t happy with the changes they made to the Rangers’ starting lineup in the locker room before the game,” Lundqvist told ESPN New York at the time.
