Rasmus Dahlin spoke to the media after Saturday’s 3–0 Buffalo Sabres win over the Florida Panthers, and discussed his heated exchange with Brad Marchand, including the veteran’s behavior in tearing apart Dahlin’s helmet after they fought.
Midway through the second period, with Buffalo leading 1–0, Dahlin cross-checked Marchand in the back away from the puck. The hit went uncalled, and the Panthers forward responded by dragging Dahlin down and throwing punches from behind as both players hit the ice.
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Tage Thompson jumped in, and the scrum ended quickly, but not before Marchand earned a pair of minors for roughing and interference.
Before serving his penalties, Marchand carried Dahlin’s helmet with him into the box, tore off its straps, and threw it onto the ice.
The Sabres captain was briefly forced to wear Peyton Krebs’ helmet while his own was repaired. Despite Marchand’s antics, officials issued no additional discipline to the 37-year-old winger.
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Dahlin later said he viewed the exchange as part of the game, proclaiming himself the winner.
“Whoever gets the most angry is usually the one that gets the penalty,” Dahlin said. “You have to stay calm in those moments. Usually he’s really good at that, but I won a little battle today.”
Dahlin pretty much downplayed the incident afterward, calling Marchand a fierce competitor, but leaving it at that, acknowledging he might have behaved similarly at some point in the past.
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“He’s a competitor,” Dahlin said. “I’ve probably done something like that in the past, too, so stuff happens out there.”
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) comes off the ice.James Guillory-Imagn Images
The Sabres took advantage of the ensuing power play, as Josh Doan scored the second goal of the game to make it 2–0. Owen Power later added another to secure the win, helping Buffalo improve to 2–3–0.
For the Panthers, the loss capped a winless four-game road trip and extended their skid to four straight losses, with the defending champions falling to a 3–4–0 record.
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Florida will face the Boston Bruins next on Tuesday, marking Marchand’s first game back in Boston since his trade to the Panthers at last season’s deadline.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.