The San Jose Sharks were beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 when Brenden Dillon cussed out Erik Karlsson.

Well, that’s the story anyway. Here’s the tale of the tape:

“Fuck off, Karl!” shouted somebody, who went on to add something unintelligible about his backhand.

So who cussed out Karlsson?

Was it the generally-genial Dillon? Do the Sharks hate Karlsson? Was it a random Hurricane?

Would you believe it was Erik Karlsson cussing out Erik Karlsson?

Dillon busted out when I asked him about it: “It was Erik. Ask him.”

“That's me,” confirmed Karlsson. “I ‘motherfuck’ myself 15 times a game.”

“He’s really hard on himself,” noted Dillon. “A bunch of us do it, but not necessarily as loud as that. Or saying our name specifically.”

Karlsson did bang his stick on the ice after he released the backhander.

“I suck out there,” deadpanned the future Hall of Famer. “I gotta remind myself sometimes.”

It took his new partner a little getting used to.

“At first, you’re startled,” Dillon revealed. “You think, ‘Oh shoot, did I do something wrong?’

“It’s a unique thing he does.”

Dillon wanted to stress that the San Jose locker room does not actually hate Erik Karlsson.

“I love Karl,” beamed Dillon. “There’s no discord.”