"Over 300 combined penalty minutes in two preseason games between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers is remarkable, and the NHL Department of Player Safety must step up to address these dangerous incidents. A passionate rivalry is one thing, but putting a player's health and safety on the line in a game that's essentially meaningless in the scope of an entire season is something that should not be encouraged by the NHL."
"The chaos kicked off just over two minutes into the opening frame. Tampa's Scott Sabourin found Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad like a heat-seeking missile and landed a clean hit on him behind the Florida goal, which sent Ekblad crashing to the ice. Things went awry when Ekblad got back to his feet and was met with a crosscheck followed by a flurry of punches from Sabourin."
Two Tampa Bay Lightning–Florida Panthers preseason games combined for over 300 penalty minutes, with one 7-0 Panthers win featuring 67 penalties and 274 penalty minutes. The opening period included four major penalties and multiple game misconducts. Scott Sabourin delivered a hard hit on Aaron Ekblad, followed by crosschecks and punches that forced Ekblad out of the game; no injury update was available. Carter Verhaeghe later delivered a boarding hit on Zemgus Girgensons that sparked another pile-up and two game misconducts. The incidents raised concerns about player safety and Department of Player Safety enforcement.
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