BUFFALO — Rasmus Dahlin scrunched his eyebrows, appearing genuinely baffled by the question.

“What’s pest?” the Buffalo Sabres captain asked, repeating the label the defenseman has suddenly attracted following his involvement in two recent on-ice scuffles.

kAmQ*629[ E92EVD ?@E H9@ xV> ECJ:?8 E@ 36[Q s29=:? D2:5 FA@? 36:?8 :?7@C>65 2 A6DE 😀 D@>6@?6 H9@ 6?;@JD 86EE:?8 F?56C 2? @AA@?6?EVD D<:?] Qx 4@>A6E6 @FE E96C6] p?5 D@>6 8FJD 5@?VE =:<6 E92E] qFE x 5@?VE 4@?D:56C >6 2 A6DE] $@>6E:>6D 8FJD 86E 2?8CJ] p?5 x 42?VE C62==J 5@ 2?JE9:?8 23@FE E92E]Qk^Am

kAm%6== E92E E@ tG86?: |2=<:?] %96 !:EED3FC89 !6?8F:?D 7@CH2C5 😀 DE:== D6CG:?8 2 7:G6\82>6 }w{ DFDA6?D:@? 7@C 2 EH@\92?565 DE:4< 49@A E92E ;FDE >:DD65 s29=:?VD 7246 😕 C6DA@?D6 E@ 36:?8 4C@DD\4964<65 😕 E96 324< 😕 qF772=@VD d\` H:? @? |2C49 d]k^Am

kAm~C 9@H 23@FE qC2?5@? w286=] %96 %2>A2 q2J {:89E?:?8 7@CH2C5 😀 Sd[___ A@@C6C 27E6C 36:?8 7:?65 3J E96 }w{ 7@C 2EE24<:?8 s29=:? 7C@> 369:?5 27E6C E96 EH@ 6I492?865 D9@G6D 5FC:?8 qF772=@VD g\f H:? @? $F?52J]k^Am

kAmQ*629[ xVG6 24EF2==J D66? D@>6 DEF77 @?=:?6 23@FE E92E] p?5 x E9:?< :EVD W?@E ECF6X[Q s29=:? D2:5 @7 9:D 3F55:?8 C6AFE2E:@?] QxVG6 2=H2JD 4@>A6E65] x E9:?< >2J36 3642FD6 H6VC6 H:??:?8 2?5 H6 92G6 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 DA@E=:89E]Qk^Am

kAm%96 $23C6D 2C6 :?5665 @? 2 C@==[ 92G:?8 H@? ah @7 bf E92EVD =65 E96> E@ ;F>A 7C@> =2DE 😕 E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 DE2?5:?8D E@ 2E@A E96 pE=2?E:4 s:G:D:@? 6?E6C:?8 uC:52J]k^Am

kAmp?5 s29=:? 92D 366? 😕 E96 E9:4< @7 :E 2==]k^Am

kAmw6VD =625:?8 qF772=@ 😕 2G6C28:?8 ac >:?FE6D[ ag D64@?5D @7 :46 E:>6 A6C @FE:?8] w6VD D64@?5 @? E96 $23C6D H:E9 e_ A@:?ED] p?5 s29=:?VD 76:DE:?6DD 😀 2? :?5:42E:@? @7 9@H 56E6C>:?65 E96 6:89E9\J62C A=2J6C 😀 E@ 7:?2==J 6?5 qF772=@VD }w{\C64@C5 `c\D62D@? A=2J@77 5C@F89E]k^Am

kAmQw6VD 6?;@J:?8 E9:D C:89E ?@H] w6VD 6?;@J:?8 E96 H:??:?8] w6VD 6?;@J:?8 E96 32EE=6] w6VD 6?;@J:?8 E96 8C:?5 @7 :E[Q 4@249 {:?5J #F77 D2:5] Qw6VD C62==J C6=:D9:?8 E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ]Qk^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mu:2?4é6 C64@G6C:?8 7C@> 962CE EC2?DA=2?Ek^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm(92EVD 2=D@ ?@E =@DE @? E96 $23C6D 😀 9@H s29=:? 92D :>A24E65 E96 E62>VD EC2;64E@CJ 5FC:?8 9:D >@DE 6>@E:@?2==J ECJ:?8 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm&A@? C6A@CE:?8 7@C EC2:?:?8 42>A 😕 $6AE6>36C[ s29=:? C6G62=65 9:D 7:2?4é6[ r2C@=:?2 |2E@G24[ ?62C=J 5:65 H96? 96C 962CE 72:=65 H9:=6 E96 4@FA=6 G242E:@?65 😕 uC2?46] |@?E9D =2E6C[ |2E@G24 C6G62=65 😕 2 D@4:2= >65:2 A@DE @7 36:?8 AC68?2?E 2E E96 E:>6[ 2?5 96C F?3@C? 49:=5 A=2J:?8 Q2 G:E2= C@=6Q 😕 =625:?8 E@ E96 5:D4@G6CJ @7 96C 962CE :DDF6]k^Am

kAm|2E@G24 4@?E:?F6D C64@G6C:?8 7C@> 962CE EC2?DA=2?E DFC86CJ 😕 $H656?[ H9:=6 s29=:? 92D DE2J65 >@DE=J 😕 qF772=@ — 2D:56 7C@> 2 76H 3C:67 EC:AD 9@>6]k^Am

kAmQ%@ 36 9@?6DE[ x 42?VE 6G6? :>28:?6 H92E 96VD 8@:?8 E9C@F89 >6?E2==J 6G6CJ 52J[Q 5676?D6>2? |2EE:2D $2>F6=DD@? D2:5] Qx E9:?< :EVD E96 >@DE :>AC6DD:G6 E9:?8 xVG6 D66?] p?5 E96? E@ 4@>6 😕 2?5 A6C7@C> H92E 96 5@6D @? E@A @7 :E 2==[ :EVD DFA6C :>AC6DD:G6] xE 2=>@DE =:<6 96 3C:?8D E96 8C@FA :?E@ E96 7:89E 6G6? >@C6]Qk^Am

kAms29=:?VD ?6G6C =24<65 7@C D<:==] %96 }@] ` A:4< 😕 E96 a_`g 5C27E 92D 366? A68865 2D 2 DE2C D:?46 96 H2D 2 `e\J62C\@=5 A=2J:?8 😕 E96 $H65:D9 t=:E6 {628F6]k^Am

kAmp?5 96VD 2=H2JD 3C@F89E 2 A9JD:42= 6=6>6?E E@ 9:D 82>6] xE H2D 6G:56?E 😕 @?6 @7 9:D 7:CDE AC24E:46D 😕 qF772=@[ H96? s29=:? =6G6=65 76==@H C@@<:6 |2E6; !6<2C H:E9 2? @A6?\:46 9:E] xE 2AA62C65 E@ 36 😕 C6E2=:2E:@? 7@C 86EE:?8 9:89\DE:4<65 3J !6<2C[ E9@F89 s29=:? 42==65 :E 2 >6C6 4@:?4:56?46]k^Am

kAm%96C6 92G6 366? E:>6D H96? s29=:?VD 7CFDEC2E:@?D 92G6 3@:=65 @G6C H:E9 F?5:D4:A=:?65 A6?2=E:6D @C E96 E:>6D 96VD DA=:?E6C65 9:D DE:4< 3J D>2D9:?8 :E @? E96 4C@DD32C 7@==@H:?8 2? @AA@?6?EVD 8@2=]k^Am

kAm|F49 =:<6 E96 $23C6DV =@D:?8 H2JD[ E9@D6 >@>6?ED 2AA62C E@ 36 😕 E96 A2DE]k^Am

kAmQx E9:?< E96C6 H6C6 E:>6D =2DE J62C 96 H6?E E@@ 72C[Q #F77 D2:5] QqFE H6 92G6?VE D66? E92E WE9:D J62CX] w6VD 8@E 9:D 82>6 2?5 E96 6>@E:@?2= :>A24E 96 42? AFE @? 2 82>6 😕 E96 C:89E A=246]Qk^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 56E6C>:?65 E92? 6G6Ck^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmr6?E6C %286 %9@>AD@? 😀 AC@F5 @7 9:D E62>>2E6[ 2?5 D2:5 E9:D 😀 E96 >@DE 56E6C>:?65 E96 ad\J62C\@=5 s29=:? 92D 366? 5FC:?8 9:D 6:89E D62D@?D 😕 qF772=@]k^Am

kAmQw6VD @FC =6256C 😕 E9:D C@@>[Q %9@>AD@? D2:5] Qx 5@?VE E9:?< :EVD 2 4@:?4:56?46 E96 J62C E92E H6VC6 92G:?8 2?5 9:> E2<:?8 2? 6G6? 8C62E6C DE6A E9:D D62D@?]Qk^Am

kAms29=:? 5:D>:DD65 E96 2EE6?E:@? 2?5 AC2:D6]k^Am

kAmQ!=2J:?8 @? 2 8@@5 E62>[ 2D D:>A=6 2D E92E[Q 96 D2:5 @7 9:D AC@5F4E:@?]k^Am

kAmpD 7@C qF772=@ 7:?2==J 36:?8 😕 4@?E6?E:@?[ 96 D2:5i Q(6 92G6 D@ >F49 E2=6?E 😕 E9:D C@@>[ :E H2D ;FDE 2 >2EE6C @7 E:>6]Qk^Am

kAmp?5 J6E s29=:? H:== 2EE6DE E@ 9@H >F49 96VD 6?;@J:?8 E96 $23C6DV EFC?2C@F?5 2>:5 H92E =:?86C:?8 A6CD@?2= H@CC:6D 96 92D 324< 9@>6]k^Am

kAmQxE >62?D E96 H@C=5[Q s29=:? D2:5[ 9:D G@:46 649@:?8 E9C@F89 2? 6>AEJ =@4<6C C@@> H6== 27E6C 2 e\b H:? @G6C $2? y@D6 @? (65?6D52J] Q(6VC6 😕 E96 C246 2?5 H6VC6 A=2J:?8 >62?:?87F= 82>6D] x 42?VE 36 >@C6 92AAJ]Qk^Am