BUFFALO, N.Y. — Brad Marchand is typically the one agitating his opponents. During the Florida Panthers’ 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, however, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin managed to get under Marchand’s skin.

During the second period, with the Sabres up 1-0, Dahlin cross-checked Marchand in the back away from the play. That went uncalled, and Marchand was furious. He hauled Dahlin down in the slot and then started throwing punches while the two were on the ice. Tage Thompson jumped in to defend Dahlin, and the skirmish was brief. Thompson and Marchand both got roughing calls, and Marchand got an extra two minutes for interference to hand Buffalo a power play.

“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.”

Marchand wasn’t finished, though. He had ripped Dahlin’s helmet off and took it with him to the penalty box. While he was sitting in the box as the referee sorted through the calls, Marchand took the straps off Dahlin’s helmet and then threw it onto the ice. Dahlin had to briefly play with teammate Peyton Krebs’ helmet while the equipment staff repaired his. Marchand didn’t receive any extra discipline for vandalizing Dahlin’s helmet.

Dahlin gave Marchand a crosscheck in the back, and when Marchand got an opportunity, he gave it right back, threw some punches and then destroyed Dahlin’s helmet 🤣 #LetsGoBuffalo #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/ZJnIuB5oBY

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) October 18, 2025

“He’s a competitor,” Dahlin said. “I’ve probably done something like that in the past, too, so stuff happens out there.”

The Sabres did, however, score on the ensuing power play. Josh Doan scored his second power-play goal of the game to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead. Sabres fans loudly booed Marchand as he left the penalty box and took the ice. On that shift, the Sabres got their third goal of the game. It was a rough period for the 37-year-old Marchand, who has long been known as one of the league’s most notable antagonists.

The Panthers have had a frustrating week as a team. After starting the season with three straight home wins, the Panthers have lost four straight on the road, including the frustrating game in Buffalo. Winners of back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Panthers are dealing with injuries to star players Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, among others. Marchand, who joined the Panthers at the NHL trade deadline last season, had three goals and three assists in six games coming into Saturday.

“We’ve had one or two of these each year,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said of the losing streak. “It’s all part of it. You always learn more when you lose than when you win.”