{"id":279800,"date":"2025-10-05T15:42:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T15:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/279800\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T15:42:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T15:42:10","slug":"panthers-lightning-preseason-game-a-stupid-65-penalty-imbroglio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/279800\/","title":{"rendered":"Panthers-Lightning preseason game a ‘stupid’ 65-penalty imbroglio"},"content":{"rendered":"

SUNRISE, Fla. \u2014 Niko Mikkola had an assist on a goal that gave the Florida Panthers an 8-0 lead. Problem was, he\u2019d been kicked out of the game a few minutes earlier and nobody noticed.<\/p>\n

It was that kind of night between the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.<\/p>\n

Florida beat Tampa Bay 7-0 in the preseason finale for both clubs Saturday night, though the score was irrelevant. There were 65 penalties for 312 minutes on the stat sheet, including 13 game misconduct penalties \u2014 seven for Tampa Bay, six for Florida. <\/p>\n

Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis (26) and Tampa Bay Lightning Dylan Duke, right, scuffle during the third period. AP<\/p>\n

The penalty count kept rising after the game, while officials were making sure everything that was called got logged.<\/p>\n

Florida had 17 power-play chances in the game, by the NHL\u2019s count.<\/p>\n

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The Panthers\u2019 eighth goal was taken off the board after Niko Mikkola was ruled ineligible due to a game misconduct \ud83d\ude2d<\/p>\n

Mikkola had assisted on the goal. pic.twitter.com\/HdESclfVp2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lightning right wing Scott Sabourin (46) and Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, right, trade blows. AP<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got silly. It got stupid by the end of it,\u201d Florida forward Evan Rodrigues said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t really hockey out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The parade to the penalty boxes started about two minutes into the game when Tampa Bay\u2019s Scott Sabourin \u2014 who was among six players the Lightning called up for the game \u2014 went after Florida\u2019s Aaron Ekblad. Sabourin got a major penalty after playing only 19 seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt made you think there might be something coming,\u201d Florida\u2019s Eetu Luostarinen said, when asked what he thought when he saw the Lightning called up players for the game.<\/p>\n

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends the goal against Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (22). AP<\/p>\n

What would have been the eighth Florida goal of the night, midway through the third period, was taken away 15 minutes after Jesper Boqvist scored. Off-ice officials realized that Mikkola couldn\u2019t have had an assist on the play \u2014 since he\u2019d been ejected earlier in the period.<\/p>\n

The teams skated with the scoreboard saying Florida led 8-0 for about five minutes of actual game time, before officials informed both teams that the goal had been taken away and Mikkola had to leave the game.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Lightning took nine penalties and had no shots on goal in the third period.<\/p>\n

Lightning players look from the penalty box during the second period. AP<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s game came two nights after the teams combined for 49 penalties and 186 minutes in another preseason contest, one the Lightning won 5-2.<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay went to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals from 2020 through 2022, winning two titles in that span. Florida has been to each of the last three Stanley Cup Finals and has won the last two Cups. And it has long been a heated rivalry between the franchises.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think anybody that\u2019s been a part of this rivalry would probably look at this box score and A, not be surprised and B, I can\u2019t believe it\u2019s taken this long for something like that to happen,\u201d Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.<\/p>\n

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