Ray Stubblebine / Reuters

The New York Rangers' Colton Orr (28) stands over the Philadelphia Flyers' Todd Fedoruk after knocking him out on Wednesday.

This bout didn’t carry the glitz of other great Madison Square Garden fights such as Ali-Frazier I, but it certainly drew quick attention in the YouTube world. The seeds were planted 32 days earlier when Fedoruk and teammate Ben Eager roughed up the Rangers, most notably captain Jaromir Jagr.

Orr didn’t dress for that one, a move Rangers coach Tom Renney admitted was a mistake. With no one to protect the playoff-hungry Rangers, the also-ran Flyers had every opportunity to bravely hunt vulnerable targets without fear of retribution.

Fedoruk and Eager combined for four roughing penalties and a misconduct in the first period of Philadelphia’s Feb. 17 victory.

When the Rangers starters were announced Wednesday, Orr was there. It took only a few seconds for Fedoruk to hop on. Orr gave him the familiar stick tap on the leg, the universal hockey symbol of, “Let’s go,” and it was on.

“The last time Philadelphia was in there ... the same player came out of the penalty box and went right for Jagr and hit him real hard on probably a borderline charge or a major for charging,” Campbell said. “I think it’s incumbent on the Rangers to protect their players in ways they can.

“Fedoruk understood why Colton Orr was in the lineup and they didn’t make any bones about it and away they went. We wouldn’t be talking today if Colton Orr didn’t land such a hard punch, but he did.”

The only surprise might have been the timing. It didn’t look much different than any other hockey bout until Orr’s fist found the reconstructed left side of Fedoruk’s face. Fedoruk crumpled and fell on his back, out cold before hitting the ice.

He lay motionless for several minutes. When he came to, he seemed to try to resist being strapped to a backboard. After all, no fighter wants to be carted off.

Renney contended Orr didn’t start the game to fight. He is part of the Rangers’ checking line that Renney wanted to shut down Philadelphia from the first puck drop.

“Orr was playing totally within the rules,” Campbell said. “It was a fair fight. Fighting is allowed to the point where the only penalty is a 5-minute major unless there is an aggressor penalty.

“In some leagues, you’re kicked out of the game. In this case it’s allowed. It’s been in the game forever. To the chagrin of some people and to the delight of others there is a lot less fighting than there used to be.”

And Fedoruk is no stranger to this kind of pounding. He has undergone facial surgery three times in which plates were inserted to repair fractures. He missed 18 games due to surgery following an Oct. 27 fight with Minnesota’s Derek Boogaard and probably shouldn’t play this role anymore.

“He basically has a titanium face,” said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren, who had 52 fights with the former Broad Street Bullies. “It looked like it was a glancing blow on his jaw, but it did some damage.”

Fedoruk was traded by Anaheim to Philadelphia on Nov. 13. He has had five fights — all losses — since removing his face shield before February’s All-Star break.

“I think anybody would be tentative with an injury like that,” Fedoruk said Thursday upon returning to Philadelphia after a night in a hospital. “When you change your style a little bit you leave yourself vulnerable, and that’s what happened.

“I will get back on track. I have had worse things done to me than this.”

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Jim Mcisaac / Getty Images

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