“It gives an opportunity for others to step up and have a voice and lead in different ways,” said Brad Marchand, about how the absence of Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov from the locker room could give other Panthers stars the chance to show their worth. But six games into the 2025-26 season, it looks like the defending champs are struggling. What’s even worse, the seasoned winger can’t seem to keep a lid on his emotions amidst the Panthers’ losing streak.

On Saturday, Gino Hard took to X to share how Marchand lost his cool in the match that saw the Panthers getting a 3-0 thrashing. In the second period, with the hosts leading by 1 goal, Brad was cross-checked by Rasmus Dahlin. The hit wasn’t called, and Marchand resorted to taking matters into his own hands, as he took down Dahlin on the ice and proceeded to shower the Sabres’ star with several punches. The refs quickly broke off the scrum and sent the veteran winger to the box with roughing and interference penalties. The Cats’ star, however, didn’t go empty-handed.

“After the scrum, Marchand took Dahlin’s helmet with him to the penalty box and ripped out the straps,” Gino Hard’s social media update highlighted. The accompanying video showed Brad skating off the ice with the war exploit in his hand and then taking the helmet apart piece by piece inside the penalty box. Dahlin, skating inside the rink, could be seen shaking his head.

The Panthers began the season with three straight victories. But they headed to the KeyBank Center to take on the Sabres with a 3-3-0 record. Naturally, the game could have proved to be the one where Paul Maurice’s boys could have sorted out their house. Instead, the match saw Brad Marchand adding to Florida’s troubles, and the fans couldn’t keep quiet.

“Nah this is actually insane lmao,” one fan was amused by how Marchand, one of the more experienced players on the ice at Saturday’s game, fell prey to the daunting pressure of the Panthers’ winless stretch. But let’s face it, the former Bruins’ captain is known for his unique ability to get under his opponents’ skin. His reputation for dropping his gloves is so widespread that even the former POTUS Barack Obama once called Marchand a “Little Ball of Hate“.

Maybe Dahlin was just trying to give Marchand a taste of his own medicine, or he might have been reacting to the latter’s taunts. Whatever the case may have been, the fans weren’t exactly on board with how the Canadian took the residue of the fight off the skating rink. Soon, more hockey enthusiasts hopped onto social media to slam the 37-year-old for his actions.

Fans don’t take Brad Marchand’s deed too kindly

“10 years solitary confinement,” one fan evidently wanted to see Marchand behind bars for a long time. Probably, some NHL fans haven’t forgotten how Rasmus Dahlin and his fiancée came face-to-face with a near-death experience during a vacation trip in September, and Marchand’s deciding to punch the Sabres forward in the face so soon after the traumatic encounter didn’t sit well with them. “He’s such a s***. Game misconduct and fine,” another fan called for the NHL to take action.

It’s not like Brad Marchand is a bad person to the core. The Nova Scotia native’s neighbors would even vouch for his good nature and his involvement with the nearby communities. After Marchand’s transfer from the Bruins, Sam Bennett even recalled how the former chirped his way into the Panthers’ locker room and into his new teammates’ hearts. But the episode with Dahlin had the fans fuming. “Can anyone honestly tell me how this isn’t an extra 2 for unsportsmanlike conduct?!?” one fan was left baffled.

“Marchand is the biggest cry baby on this earth,” sneered yet another. Do you agree? Or do you think antics like these are exactly what make Brad Marchand stand out from the crowd? Tell us your thoughts on the Panthers’ latest loss and the winger’s on-ice shenanigans in a comment!