Panthers' Brandon Montour responds to licking taunt aimed at Brad Marchand

Following the Florida Panthers' 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 2, defenseman Brandon Montour became a focal point for his reaction to a taunt directed at Bruins standout Brad Marchand. With the Panthers securing a dominant win, tensions escalated between the two teams, leading to a interaction between Montour and Marchand.

"I got a lot of texts with the licking emoji and what not," Montour remarked when asked about the incident. "When [Marchand does] those things, you have to kind of take the joke, I guess. Maybe for the rest of his career."

The controversy's core lies in Brad Marchand's habit of licking his opponents. Marchand's history with such behavior dates back to a notable incident during the 2018 NHL Playoffs when he infamously licked former NHLer Ryan Callahan during a playoff game.

Take a look at the video from the 2018 NHL playoffs:

The latest chapter in this narrative unfolded during Game 2 between the Panthers and Bruins, as Montour seized an opportunity to mock Brad Marchand's infamous licking antics. After scoring a shorthanded goal to extend the Panthers' lead to 6-1, Montour made a bold statement by screaming in Marchand's face, igniting a scrum between the two teams.

The animosity between the Bruins and Panthers was visible through the game as the physical play and emotional fights were high. Bruins forward David Pastrnak's and Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk's brawl raised the matchup's temperature even more.

Brad Marchand's history with licking opponents has not gone unnoticed by the NHL, as he was previously warned by the league to cease such behavior or face disciplinary action.

Brad Marchand and Bruins' 6-1 loss to the Panthers

The Florida Panthers showed resilience and dominance in their 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins, evening the second-round series at one game apiece.

Aleksander Barkov led the charge with two goals and two assists, while Sam Reinhart contributed four assists. Brandon Montour, Steven Lorentz, Gustav Forsling and Eetu Luostarinen also found the net for Florida.

“We did what we wanted to do,” Barkov said.

The Panthers' offensive onslaught resulted in Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman exiting the game in the third period, with Linus Ullmark faring little better in relief. The physicality of the game escalated in the third period, with numerous penalties and player ejections, including star players Matthew Tkachuk and David Pastrnak engaging in a heated altercation.

According to Panthers coach Paul Maurice:

“You have two elite offensive players ... it gets a little spicy out there and they wanted to go."

Despite Boston's early lead, Florida's relentless pressure and offensive skills overwhelmed the Bruins, culminating in a decisive victory.