Ice hockey is a high-speed, high-contact sport, and, as one would expect, fights break out all the time.

During Sunday's pre-season game between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs, the rink looked like something out of a Bible scene as a pint-sized David faced off with a gargantuan Goliath, both swinging their sticks instead of slingshots.

John Scott, a 6'8" defender/winger for the Sabres who previously played for the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers, got ticked off and challenged the Maple Leafs to a fight right after another brawl. His opponent: Phil Kessel, who, at 6'0", is not even in the same weight division.

Unfortunately for both teams, Kessel spoke softly, but carried a big stick.

Kessel inched away, then started swinging his stick at Scott as his teammates rushed into the fray. The incident happened with a little over 10 minutes left in the game, and sparked a brawl and fight between the opposing team's goalies: Jonathan Bernier and Ryan Miller.

Earlier, the Sabres' Corey Tropp and the Leafs' Jamie Devane got into another fight. This time, the size advantage was in favor of the Leafs, with Devane standing 6'5". Predictably, Tropp ended up on the eyes with cuts and bruises and had to leave the game.

Even though Tropp received the worst blows, the Leafs blamed him for starting the free-for-all.

"[Tropp]... instigated the fight," Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. "Maybe they felt... the problem was that there was a bigger man fighting a smaller guy."

Swinging a stick at a fight carries a match penalty and an automatic suspension from succeeding games. Teammate David Clarkson, though, will receive a much higher penalty -- ten games' suspension -- for jumoing from the bench to join the melee.

"I think Dave Clarkson made a mistake, and now we'll pay for it," Carlyle said. Clarkson was not available for comment after the game. Carlyle had actually sent Kessel's line into the game to defuse the tension following the Devane-Tropp brawl.

Josh Leivo topscored for the Leafs, who won 5-3. Three players scored for the Sabres.