Caps go down fighting

It was a scene straight out of the 1977 cult movie "Slap Shot." The only thing missing was a player shedding his clothing on the ice while a full-scale brawl raged on.

The Atlanta Thrashers and Washington Capitals went toe-to-toe last night at Verizon Center, a game straight out of the pre-expansion NHL when fighting was an ugly nightly occurrence. When it was over, the only thing that really mattered was the score -- Atlanta 4, Washington 2, the Thrashers' four-game losing streak over, the Caps' three-game winless streak extended to four.

It was a physical game from the start, and the contact got rougher along the way. It appears the incident that turned a game into a brawl started with about 90 seconds left in regulation when Atlanta defenseman Andy Sutton nailed rookie Caps defender Mike Green into the boards with a particularly vicious hit. Washington's Ben Clymer immediately engaged Sutton in a fight, defending his teammate, and chaos was the result.

The game started and stopped several more times before officials finally ordered the clock not to be stopped to let time expire as the two coaches, Washington's Glen Hanlon and Atlanta's Bob Hartley, yelled at each other from their respective benches.

There probably will be suspensions. The rule book stipulates that players receiving instigator penalties in the last five minutes of a game automatically receive one-game suspensions. However, the rule also says the suspensions can be rescinded if the league feels it is appropriate.

Two Caps, Donald Brashear and Brian Sutherby, and the Thrashers' Scott Mellanby all received instigator penalties and presumably will sit out their next games if the penalties are upheld. For the Caps, that game is against Toronto tomorrow at home.

Referees Dave Jackson and Tom Kowal handed out a total of 41 penalties, 23 against Washington. There were 176 penalty minutes involved, the Caps receiving 101. There were seven misconduct penalties and 10 fighting majors.

"We didn't like the way things were going, some things happened and things boiled over," Clymer said. "That's part of the game. It doesn't happen as much as it did in the past, but tonight it was a main part of the third period. It is what it is, it's over."

Said Thrashers captain Mellanby: "Obviously, they took exception to [Sutton's] hit -- they were defending themselves, I don't necessarily agree with the way they went about it, but they've developed a lot of pride and identity with that team. That comes from Hanlon, and I mean that as a compliment. He's instilled a great work ethic in that team and great pride. That was just old-school hockey, and I don't have any problem with it. It's part of the game, it happens."

The main engagement started with 62 seconds left involving all 10 skaters. The goalies, Washington's Olie Kolzig and Atlanta's Johan Hedberg, tried to join in but were restrained.

When action resumed it was with three players aside, but more trouble broke out four seconds later. And still more 15 seconds after that.

Hockey? There was some earlier. Matt Pettinger and Jakub Klepis put the Caps into a 2-0 lead early in the second period before the Thrashers scored three in the middle period and another in the third, the last sort of rubbing the Caps' collective noses in the dirt. From that point on, it seemed possible a fight might break out, but there was no indication of the storm that was building.

The teams meet again Dec. 15 in Atlanta.

"We'll drop the puck next game and start from scratch," Clymer predicted.