“I lost to a very good team,” Connor McDavid didn’t have anything bad to say about the team that defeated the Oilers twice in a row at the Stanley Cup Finals. And yet, it seemed like the Florida Panthers were more interested in returning the Edmonton captain’s kind words with diss after diss.

From dancing to the Pink Pony Club inside the locker room right after lifting Lord Stanley for the second consecutive time to Matthew Tkachuk’s sneering “Connor McDavid who?” quip at Florida’s victory bash at the E11even nightclub, the Florida Panthers squad hasn’t been subtle about their feelings on the back-to-back Cup losers. But fans are definitely loving it!

The Daily Faceoff‘s managing editor, Matt Larkin, took to X on June 22 to admit that the Pathers’ unabashed digs at the Oilers are something he’s actually enjoying quite a bit. To highlight his feelings, Larkin shared the original tweet by another hockey connoisseur who didn’t seem to be having fun with how the Florida Panthers have been serving disses left and right to their opponents.

“These Florida Panthers decided to come out as full on douchebags ever since this cup win. Insulting players, cities and fans. It’s honestly taken away from their championship,” noted the OG post, while labelling the Panthers’ stars as “classless losers“. However, for Larkin, it’s a whole different story. “I actually think it’s kinda awesome and wish more teams would be this brash and full of personality,” in his social media update, Larkin claimed that the unfiltered way the Cats’ players have been celebrating their victory over Edmonton is truly like a fresh breath in the otherwise stale NHL scene.

In the minutes following the Cup victory, as the booze flowed inside the Cats’ locker room, the stars were seen having a private ball for themselves, dancing to the Pink Pony Club, the song that played every time after the Oilers secured a win in a playoff game this season. But that wasn’t all, during Sunday’s victory parade, the Panthers even ordered sushi from the same restaurant that Edmonton had booked out before Game 5. Talk about adding insult to injury.

And the fans didn’t hesitate to agree. “I love it!” one fan came forward with vehement support for Larkin’s POV on how the Panthers are winning hearts by being so ruthless about their triumph over the Oilers. Others also had very similar things to say about the reigning champs.

The fans bask in the Florida Panthers’ glory

While the Panthers fans are reveling in the team’s victory right now, they haven’t yet forgotten how Paul Maurice’s team was harshly treated by NHL pundits throughout the postseason. At almost every stage of the playoffs, the Panthers were predicted to lose. And now, as the team has proved every prediction wrong, fans believe it’s time for those previous smirks should be returned in kind.

“The insulting players, cities and fans” has been the practice of every other fanbase towards the @flapanthers for as long as anyone can remember but they all wish they had this team,” one fan didn’t see anything wrong with how the Panthers are partying to the fullest. Another fan also wrote in a similar line, “We enjoy hockey players who will be real, not give “the right answer” to every question.“

“They earned it,” one more Panthers fan gave the team their seal of approval. In the comment section, even some loyalists from other camps arrived to underscore how all of this was in good fun and part of any sport. “I dislike the Panthers but all of this is awesome. Talk shit, rib other franchises, that’s sports,” read one comment.

So, where do you stand on the whole dilemma? Tell us your thoughts in a comment!