Chaos on Ice: Panthers vs. Lightning Preseason Game Features Ejected Player Scoring Amidst 65 Penalties!

SUNRISE, Fla. — It was a chaotic night for the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida crushed Tampa 7-0 in their preseason finale, but the score wasn’t the shocking part of the game.

During the match, Niko Mikkola scored an assist on what would have been the Panthers’ eighth goal. The twist? He was ejected from the game just moments before, and no one seemed to notice.

In total, the game saw an astonishing 65 penalties, leading to 312 minutes of player time in the penalty box. There were 13 game misconducts: seven against Tampa Bay and six against Florida. The penalties kept stacking up, with officials ensuring every call was recorded.

The Panthers had an impressive 17 power-play opportunities. Social media was buzzing with commentary, especially after Mikkola’s disallowed goal. One fan tweeted, “Mikkola had an assist on a goal that was taken off the board! How bizarre!”

“It was ridiculous by the end,” Florida forward Evan Rodrigues said. “It didn’t feel like hockey.” The penalties started early in the game. Just two minutes in, Tampa’s Scott Sabourin, who had just been called up, was handed a major penalty for targeting Florida’s Aaron Ekblad.

Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen sensed the tension when he saw Tampa’s lineup. “With those players…you knew trouble was brewing,” he remarked.

As the game progressed, confusion ruled. Officials discovered Mikkola’s ejection 15 minutes after Jesper Boqvist’s goal, which led to the Panthers’ scoreboard momentarily showing an incorrect 8-0 lead. It took a while to clarify the scoring, much to the dismay of fans and players alike.

Tampa Bay’s performance was noticeably poor in the third period—they didn’t manage a single shot on goal and ended with nine penalties. This wasn’t the first time this preseason that tensions boiled over; just two nights prior, the teams combined for 49 penalties in a different match, leading to a 5-2 Tampa victory.

Historically, the lightening rivalry has heated up in recent years. Tampa Bay reached the Stanley Cup Finals three times between 2020 and 2022, winning two championships. Florida, meanwhile, has made it to the last three finals and secured two titles. The battle between these franchises has been intense and the recent games seem to be building a new layer of drama.

“Anyone familiar with this rivalry shouldn’t be surprised by tonight’s chaos,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “It’s wild that it took this long to escalate.” In a way, the aggressive play reflects the high stakes and bold ambitions of both teams in this fierce rivalry.

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