Fight night in Atlanta

If you were under a rock somewhere and missed round 1 at Verizon Center, check the video here.

Post has a good story on why we probably won't see such a ruckus again tonight. Surprisingly, they don't mention the threat of league fines and suspensions, which I would expect to be a fairly potent deterrent. That said, I hope to see Donnie Brashear doing what he does best (and no, I don't mean playing the piano).

I have a suspicion that Atlanta, coming off three straight losses, is going to come out guns blazing trying to build an early lead. If they put more than 2 up in the first period, it's going to be a long night. If they don't, I think the Caps can get in their heads by being the more physical team. As long as they can play with a hard, physical edge and have the discipline to stay out of the box (obvious I know, but important just the same). If they can't manage that, they won't snap their 0-fer against Atlanta for the season.

The checking line should get a boost from the return of Matt Bradley, who had been sidelined with a hand injury. I happen to think Bradley is one of the most underrated forwards on the team. Although not particularly big or fast, he plays great positional hockey and his all around game is strong. Not having him for the game against the flightless devil fowl hurt the team badly.

My prediction: Caps 5, Atlanta Flames 3. (Brashear goes 1-0 in the only fight of the game).