Brad Marchand is making headlines after another questionable display on the ice.
The 37-year-old forward had another epic meltdown — one that would likely make a pee wee player say “grow up” — after getting cross-checked in the back by Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during the second period of Saturday’s Panthers-Sabres game.
How did Marchand respond? Well, once he got up, he cut in front of Dahlin as the Swede drove to the net, taking him down to the ice. The two-time Stanley Cup champion then attempted to cross-check Dahlin in the neck from behind, but appeared to fail as his stick flew out of his hands before it landed. The Rat King then threw punch after punch to the back of Dahlin’s head, loading up as if he were a Street Fighter character.
As Marchand was sent to the penalty box for starting the melee, he revealed that he wasn’t done with his temper tantrum quite yet. Marchand carried Dahlin’s helmet with him to the sin bin and ripped all of the straps off of it before throwing the mangled bucket onto the ice.
Marchand was assessed two separate minor penalties for his actions: one for interference after tripping Dahlin and another for roughing. Somehow, he didn’t receive an additional penalty for the vandalism of Dahlin’s property.
To add insult to injury, the Sabres scored just 32 seconds later on the resulting power play. Dahlin, equipped with a new helmet, was on the ice for the tally while Marchand fumed in the box.
The Sabres scored another at the end of the second, going up 3-0, a lead they’d hold onto for the rest of regulation.
While Marchand is Florida’s leading scorer this season with six points (3g, 3a) in seven games, he also leads the NHL in petulance.