Brad Marchand of the Panthers wasn’t too pleased with Rasmus Dahlin’s check, and his response didn’t quite stop once the referee intervened.
During the second period of Saturday’s matchup, with the Sabers leading 30, Dahlin, after making a pass, skated near the blue line and checked Marchand. Interestingly, Dahlin tried to engage Marchand near the boards earlier in the play, which led to him being knocked down when Marchand retaliated. This sparked a flurry of punches before players on both teams quickly joined in, leading to a stoppage in play.
As things calmed down, Marchand skated to the penalty box holding Dahlin’s helmet, which he ripped off and tossed back onto the ice while Dahlin seemed to find humor in the situation.
“You know what? You’re playing with fire,” remarked former Buffalo enforcer Rob Ray during the MSG broadcast. “This is nice.”
Marchand received penalties for interference and roughing. In a response, Tage Thompson also got penalized for roughing in relation to Marchand’s actions.
Then just 32 seconds later, a deflected pass from Josh Doan found the net, extending the Sabers’ lead to 2-0 over the previously successful two-time Stanley Cup champions.
“Usually, the angriest person ends up with a penalty,” Dahlin told reporters post-game. “You have to keep your cool at those times. He’s typically great at that, but today he won a little battle.”
Buffalo’s head coach, Lindy Ruff, commented on the game, saying, “They took offense. There was a lot of emotion out there. A lot of passion.”
Marchand, who has spent over 11 years with the Bruins, played a pivotal role in Florida’s impressive Stanley Cup run last year, contributing 20 points in 23 playoff games after being traded before the deadline.
Despite being 37, he inked a six-year deal worth $31.5 million and has already netted six points in the Panthers’ first seven games this season.
The incident involving Dahlin and Marchand seemed to energize the Sabers, helping them secure their second win in a row after starting the season with three losses. Dahlin had four assists during the opening game.
The Panthers will head to Boston for their next game on Tuesday, while the Sabers are set to face off against the Canadiens in Montreal on Monday.
