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NHL fans witnessed a fiery altercation between Anthony Mantha of the Washington Capitals and Nick Cousins during Saturday night's game. The incident occurred roughly midway through the second period.
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Cousins, known for his aggressive play style, ignited the confrontation by delivering a whack to Mantha with his stick. In response, the towering Anthony Mantha wasted no time in retaliating, dropping his gloves and engaging Cousins in a heated brawl. Cousins ultimately resorted to turtling.
NHL fans took to social media to voice their opinions on the showdown. One fan expressed a desire for Anthony Mantha to teach Cousins a lesson:
"Québec guy to give the rat a lesson."
Another fan commended Anthony Mantha for ripping off Cousins' helmet:
"grabbing his helmet and throwing it off the way he did was badass"
One fan highlighted the unity against Cousins:
"It’s nice to see the entire hockey community coming together"
Anthony Mantha's Capitals lose 3-2 to the Panthers
In a thrilling matchup on Saturday night, the Florida Panthers secured a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals in overtime, with defenseman Gustav Forsling delivering the winning goal at 3:41. Forsling capitalized on a 3-on-1 rush, surprising the Capitals with a one-timer from the right side and sealing the win for the Panthers.
Earlier in the game, Aleksander Barkov leveled the score for Florida with a power-play goal, deflecting Carter Verhaeghe’s shot past goalie Charlie Lindgren with just 3:30 remaining in regulation. This set the stage for Forsling's heroics in overtime.
The game also marked a significant milestone for Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, who played his 1,400th NHL game, becoming the 41st skater in league history to reach this mark. Ovechkin's milestone game, however, ended in disappointment for the Capitals despite goals from Sonny Milano and Tom Wilson.
Additionally, Nick Cousins contributed a goal for the Panthers, ending a 34-game scoring drought. Panthers coach Paul Maurice praised Cousins' play:
"Good for him. It has been a bit of a grinder for him coming off his injuries and getting back to form"
The game also saw Pierrick Dube make his NHL debut for the Capitals, becoming the 13th player born in France to play in the league. Despite the Capitals' disappointment in the loss, coach Spencer Carbery said:
"The ending was tough. We did a lot of good things throughout the game and it was real tight."
