Saturday’s game between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning might have just had it all.
More than 300 penalty minutes, 13 ejections, a hat trick, a shutout and a goal taken away retroactively.
That’s right, thanks to the Florida-based clubs turning the contest into something that might have fit on Saturday’s card at UFC 320, the Panthers lost out on Jesper Boqvist’s third-period tally.
When Boqvist scored Florida’s eighth goal of the night, Niko Mikkola was on the ice and collected an assist on the play. The only problem? Mikkola had been handed a game misconduct earlier in the game.
So, when it was discovered that Mikkola wasn’t supposed to be in the game anymore, the officials convened and informed the teams that the point was coming off the board and Florida would receive a penalty.
Mikkola was handed his misconduct at 4:01 of the third period.
The Panthers ultimately won the game 7-0 in the final pre-season tilt for both sides. Perhaps the most intense rivalry in the NHL right now, even exhibition games can’t keep the Lightning and Panthers from parading into the penalty box.
The division rivals are set to play four times this season, with the first matchup scheduled for Nov. 15.
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