When you look at the Bruins box score and see the Bruins had three five-minute fighting majors you automatically assume one of the three came from Shawn Thornton. Next you’ll guess Adam McQuaid was another, then for the third fight you’ll probably pick Gregory Campbell, Zdeno Chara or maybe even Milan Lucic.

If that’s what you were thinking you’re one for three.

Brad Marchand, Nathan Horton and Adam McQuaid all picked up fighting majors in today’s 4-1 Bruins win over the Washington Capitals.  Both Horton and McQuaid dropped the gloves with Capitals forward Matt Hendricks and it was Marchand throwing fists with Mike Ribeiro.

It’s not often you see Marchand—four career fighting majors— and Horton—16 career fighting majors—dropping the gloves as both are staples in the Bruins offensive game, but sometimes in hockey you do what you got to do.

Matt Hendricks is known for his fighting ways with 42 career fighting majors and was getting under the skin of the Bruins throughout the day, especially the skin of Nathan Horton which led to Horton’s first fight of the season.

Horton said Hendricks kind of caught him off guard.

“I was yelling at him. Like, three times I yelled at him and he didn’t look at me” said Horton.” And then, kind of, he just sprinted at me. He kind of caught me with my gloves there. Or, maybe he did hear me. I just didn’t think he did because he wasn’t looking at me.”

“It’s part of the game. I kept running into him and he was always there.”

Later in the game after the Horton fight, Bruins resident enforcer had some words with Hendricks and tried to get Hendricks to dance, but Hendricks wouldn’t go with Thornton, that’s when McQuaid skated in and Hendricks knew he had no choice.

“No, I mean, we didn’t talk about that, but I saw Thorty [Shawn Thornton] challenging him, and, like I said, I was there as well, so he looked like he didn’t want to go with Thorty so I, like I said, I gave him a second option, and I guess he didn’t want Thorty [Shawn Thornton], so he made a smart decision going to me” said McQuaid.

The second fight with Hendricks was expected as Hendricks had to pay for going after one of the Bruins top players.

“I mean, we don’t like to see our top line fight, give in to stuff like that” said McQuaid, “so it’s one of those things where you’ve got to stick up for your teammates.”

Prior to the Bruins bouts with Hendricks was the Marchand/ Ribeiro fight. This fight was more surprising then the other two as for once there was no bad blood with the former Canadien Mike Ribeiro.

Thornton was impressed with the way Marchand handled himself in the fight.

“He learned where to grab I guess. He did a good job, he did a really good job. It’s not an easy job no matter who you are so it’s good for him to get them off” said Thornton.

The Bruins got back to their bullying big bad Bruins ways on Saturday, much like they way they were during the 2010-11 season. We all remembered how well that worked for the Bruins that year.