Pandemonium: Panthers Dominate Lightning in Preseason Finale, 8-0

TAMPA, Florida — The Florida Panthers capped off their preseason with a dominating 8-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. The game was marred by chaos, featuring 65 penalties and 312 total penalty minutes.

Florida’s win came despite the odd occurrence of a player being ejected yet still receiving credit for an assist. This incident highlighted the lack of control throughout the match, as the officials struggled to document the numerous infractions.

“I have no idea what message they were trying to send,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “I’m not worried about it. Training camp is over. We’ve had some good games, and it’s over now.”

The physicality began early, with Tampa Bay’s Scott Sabourin receiving a major penalty just 19 seconds into the game for a hit against Florida’s Aaron Ekblad. This set the tone for a night filled with confrontations rather than focused gameplay.

Florida forward remarked on the situation, stating, “It got silly. It got stupid by the end of it. It wasn’t really hockey out there.” The Panthers enjoyed 17 power-play opportunities during the match.

Midway through the third period, Florida’s potential eighth goal was controversially nullified when officials realized Niko Mikkola, who had previously been ejected, could not be credited with the assist. This led to confusion as both teams learned of the reversal while the scoreboard still displayed the Panthers’ commanding lead.

In a further sign of the night’s discord, Tampa Bay managed to take nine penalties and had no shots on goal during the third period. Lightning coach Jon Cooper acknowledged the physical rivalry, saying, “It’s not surprising if you’ve been a part of this rivalry to see a score like this.”

This intense match came just two nights after these teams combined for 49 penalties in another heated preseason game, one that Tampa Bay won, 5-2. The rivalry has been intense, with both teams reaching the Stanley Cup Finals recently.

As the preseason concludes, both teams will look ahead to the regular season, with the Lightning set to face the Ottawa Senators in their upcoming opener.