Steve Oleksy tangles with Mike Fisher during Thursday’s game. (Photo credit: Alex Brandon)

During Saturday’s Caps convention Steve Oleksy joked that he wore “black and blue like accessories.” It didn’t take long for Steve to bring back his trademark look.

Towards the end of the second period in Wednesday’s preseason game against the Nashville Predators, Oleksy got tangled up near the net with Mike Fisher. The two exchanged words, and soon Oleksy was pummeling the Preds star. The Washington defenseman easily won the bout, though the right side of his face was bulging out like a boulder was jammed underneath his cheek.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s preseason or regular season,” Oleksy told reporters after the game. “That’s part of my job, that’s part of the reason I’m here. It doesn’t matter who it is, I’m gonna try and hold people accountable.”

For a second, it looked like Oleksy might have another fight in the game when the teams bunched up during a fight between Jay Beagle and Eric Nystrom. Oleksy paired off with one of his “mentors,” Matt Hendricks, who left the Capitals to sign a four-year, $7.4 contract with the Predators in the offseason. Afterwards Oleksy said he found the matchup funny, but just part of the game.

“He grabbed me, and we exchanged a couple words. I asked what he wanted to do or how he wanted to approach it and then we just, you know…” said Oleksy, trailing off. “It’s good to see. Keep it friendly after the battle!”

“I didn’t play with him that long, but he was a big help to me last year,” he added of Hendricks. “It’s a tough business and that’s part of it. Throughout your career you play against guys you were on the same team with, you play against guys you grew up with.”

Oleksy’s asymmetrical face talks to the media. (Photo credit: Caps Instagram)