Lightning, Panthers net 312 PIM in preseason tilt

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Niko Mikkola had an assistance connected a extremity that gave the Florida Panthers an 8-0 lead. Problem was, he'd been kicked retired of the crippled a fewer minutes earlier and cipher noticed.

It was that benignant of nighttime betwixt the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Florida defeated Tampa Bay 7-0 successful the preseason finale for some clubs Saturday night, though the people was irrelevant. There were 65 penalties for 312 minutes connected the stat sheet, including 13 crippled misconduct penalties -- 7 for Tampa Bay, six for Florida. The punishment number kept rising aft the game, arsenic officials were making definite everything that was called got logged.

"I person nary idea," Florida manager Paul Maurice said, erstwhile asked what connection Tampa Bay was trying to nonstop with its benignant of play. "I'm not disquieted astir it; grooming campy is over. We had immoderate bully games ... and nary 1 was complaining astir crystal clip by the extremity of it, truthful it's over."

Florida had 17 power-play chances successful the game, by the NHL's count.

"It got silly. It got anserine by the extremity of it," Florida guardant Evan Rodrigues said. "It wasn't truly hockey retired there."

The parade to the punishment boxes started astir 2 minutes into the crippled erstwhile Tampa Bay's Scott Sabourin -- who was among six players the Lightning called up for the crippled -- went aft Florida's Aaron Ekblad. Sabourin got a large punishment aft playing lone 19 seconds.

"It made you deliberation determination mightiness beryllium thing coming," Florida's Eetu Luostarinen said, erstwhile asked what helium thought erstwhile helium saw the Lightning called up players for the game.

What would person been the eighth Florida extremity of the night, midway done the 3rd period, was taken distant 15 minutes aft Jesper Boqvist scored. Off-ice officials realized that Mikkola couldn't person had an assistance connected the play -- since he'd been ejected earlier successful the period.

The teams skated with the scoreboard saying Florida led 8-0 for astir 5 minutes of existent crippled time, earlier officials informed some teams that the extremity had been taken distant and Mikkola had to permission the game.

The Lightning took 9 penalties and had nary shots connected extremity successful the 3rd period.

Saturday's crippled came 2 nights aft the teams combined for 49 penalties and 186 minutes successful different preseason contest, 1 the Lightning won 5-2.

Tampa Bay went to 3 consecutive Stanley Cup Finals from 2020 done 2022, winning 2 titles successful that span. Florida has been to each of the past 3 Stanley Cup Finals and has won the past 2 Cups. And determination has agelong been a heated rivalry betwixt the franchises.

"I deliberation anybody that's been a portion of this rivalry would astir apt look astatine this container people and A, not beryllium amazed and B, I can't judge it's taken this agelong for thing similar that to happen," Lightning manager Jon Cooper said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.