"Dirty play by Mikkola" "What a scumbag": Fans incensed as $7,500,000 Florida Panthers D-man fires puck at Montreal Canadiens player in final seconds

The Montreal Canadiens earned a massive 4-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon, but it was a play at the final horn that had Montreal fans incensed.

As time ticked away in regulation, Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola wound up and fired a slap shot toward the Canadiens net just as they were beginning to skate toward goaltender Sam Montembeault to congratulate him for the victory.

The Canadiens were angered over the incident and attempted to confront Nikkola, sparking an on-ice melee that lasted several seconds before the two teams finally were separated.

Fans of the Canadiens were also angered by Mikkola's actions, with many noting that they're already anticipating revenge on Montreal's part when the two teams meet again later this week in Montreal.

"Dirty play by Mikkola," wrote @NashvilleBruins.

"Tuesday night habs should win the drawback and wire and a clapper straight into the bench," wrote @mattmaurice.

"See you Tuesday, Mikkola," exclaimed @Duffman25s.

"You rarely see such a classless and dangerous move. Why? Because shooting a puck at someone — particularly when the game is basically over — is classless and dangerous," opined @ArmstrongGN.

Fans continued with their angry reactions:

"What a bitch move like seriously someone could have been hurt stupid decision on Niko Mikkola I really don’t understand," wrote @LucasFillion2.

"That's bush league, the game is over, you don't do that," wrote @LeBig_Mac.

"That's a real scumbag move from Mikkola," wrote @PBaracchini.

The Panthers defenseman, who helped Florida win the Stanley Cup last season, is in the second year of a three-year, $7.5 million contract with a $2,500,000 cap hit.

The Canadiens won't have to wait long to respond more forcefully against Mikkola as the two teams will see each other again in less than 48 hours when they play at Montreal's Bell Centre on Tuesday night.

The Canadiens gained two valuable points in the standings with their win over the Panthers

After their win over the Panthers, the Canadiens gained further ground in the tightly-packed Eastern Conference Playoff chase.

Both teams traded goals in the first and second periods, as Patrik Laine and Juraj Slafkovsky tallied for the Habs while Sam Reinhart and Seth Jones scored for the Panthers.

But Montreal pulled away from Florida in the final frame after goals from captain Nick Suzuki at the 2:06 mark, followed by the clinching tally from Brendan Gallagher with Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky pulled for an extra attacker.