SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers know it's been a disappointing season.
Now they're hearing it from fellow athletes.
Former PGA champion and current LIV golfer Brooks Koepka in particular let Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad hear it during a recent loss, with a prop and everything.
Koepka addressed the incident in a chat with Matt Vincenzi of Action Network.
“I did not bring the cone,” Koepka told Vincenzi. “He gave up a bad goal. It was a bad pass in the third (period). I’m a die-hard Panthers fan and he gave up a bad goal.
"Yeah, he gave up a bad goal I think midway through the third, and I just felt like if they didn't win that game they weren't going to make the Playoffs. Dedicated fan, man."
Now, defenseman don't directly give up goals, of course - the last line of defense is the goaltender.
The Panthers did indeed lose to the New York Rangers that night, but Aaron Ekblad had an even plus/minus on the night, meaning he was on the ice for an equal number of goals for and against during five on five play.
The game-winning goal, however was scored by Filip Chytil off an Ekblad misplay.
Ekblad, for his part, didn't seem overly amused with Koepka's theatrics.
"We're not buddies," the Florida Panthers defenseman said Wednesday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "(We'll) never be buddies."
The Panthers followed up the loss to the Rangers with another defeat at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, but they got back on the winning track with an overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Ekblad recorded an assist and five shots as the Panthers kept their slim playoff hopes alive.
They're now one point back of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the race for the second wild card spot, but with one fewer game left to play.