Adam Fox’s rare morning skate appearance pays off on ice versus Devils

Adam Fox couldn’t help but smirk when he was asked about being the first Rangers skater on the Prudential Center ice Tuesday morning before Game 1 against the Devils.

The 25-year-old defenseman, who shoulders a tremendous workload as an all-situations player for the Rangers, doesn’t usually participate in morning skates.

He giggled as he downplayed the fact that he sat and waited on the bench as the Zambonis finished cleaning the ice, but this uncharacteristic behavior spoke volumes.

“Yeah, I was breaking in some new gloves,” Fox joked to The Post on Wednesday after practice at Prudential Center. “I just kind of wanted to feel the ice and get out there. I’m not usually a morning-skate guy, but when I felt like doing it, I just went out there.”

The early start to the day led to a team-leading four-point performance for Fox, who recorded three primary helpers and the secondary assist on Filip Chytil’s empty-net goal.

It was the second time Fox posted four assists in a playoff game, which made the Jericho, N.Y., native just the second defenseman in NHL history with multiple four-assist outings.

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The only other player to do so is Paul Coffey, who did it four times.

Fox now has 20 career postseason assists in 24 games.

He’s required the fewest contests in Rangers history to achieve the feat, besting the previous mark set by Brian Leetch, who racked up the same amount in 26 games.

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Additionally, Fox, with five career playoff goals, is one of just five blueliners in NHL history to have 1-plus points per game with 24 or more playoff games to his name.

Bobby Orr, Cale Makar, Coffey and Leetch have also done it.

“Foxy was excellent [Tuesday] night,” head coach Gerard Gallant said. “I didn’t know about the four assists until after the game when you check the game sheet when you go back. As coaches, you worry about the defensive end more. He played really strong, really solid and for me, that was the game Foxy can play. Both ends, solid, all special teams. That’s what he does for us.”

The Rangers held an optional practice Wednesday at Prudential Center, where everyone but Mika Zibanejad and Tyler Motte participated.

Motte blocked a couple of big shots in Tuesday’s win, which is probably why the feisty winger took the day off the ice.

The Devils had a very lightly attended optional practice.

The Rangers went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and scored two power-play goals in Game 1, marking the first time in the playoffs since Game 4 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Final that the club has scored two power-play goals and had a perfect penalty kill of four or more opportunities.