Overview
- After a cross-check from Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, Marchand chased him down, threw punches, then took Dahlin’s helmet to the penalty box and ripped off its straps before tossing it back onto the ice.
- Officials assessed Marchand two minors for interference and roughing and gave Buffalo’s Tage Thompson a roughing minor, creating a Sabres power play.
- Josh Doan scored 32 seconds into that power play to extend Buffalo’s lead, and the Sabres finished a 3-0 win to hand Florida a fourth straight loss and a 3-4-0 start.
- The NHL Department of Player Safety fined Marchand $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, the maximum allowed under the CBA, with proceeds directed to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund, and no suspension was announced.
- Dahlin downplayed the altercation afterward, while the episode renewed debate over whether current in-game penalties and fine caps sufficiently deter this type of behavior; Florida next visits Boston on Tuesday.