The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning renewed their rivalry in a heated preseason game on Saturday night, with the Panthers ultimately announcing that defenseman Aaron Ekblad would not return to the contest. The game quickly spiraled into a display of animosity, featuring a series of penalties and ejections.
The trouble began when Lightning forward Scott Sabourin delivered a forceful hit to Ekblad, followed by a crosscheck to the face and punches, resulting in Ekblad's removal from the game. The sequence ignited both teams, fueling the already intense rivalry.
The game saw a total of four ejections in the first period alone. Carter Verhaeghe of the Panthers was ejected for boarding Zemgus Girgensons. On the Lightning's side, J.J. Moser was ejected for a hit from behind, and Roman Schmidt received an ejection for cross-checking. The first period concluded with a total of 59 penalty minutes.
The Panthers and Lightning have developed one of the NHL's most fierce rivalries, having faced each other in the playoffs for the past two years. The Panthers emerged victorious in both series, ultimately on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. Last season's series was marked by significant controversy after Brandon Hagel of the Lightning was suspended for a hit on Florida captain Aleksander Barkov.
The incident involving Ekblad and Sabourin is just the latest chapter in the ongoing "Battle of Florida". The Panthers' broadcast team criticized the Lightning's physical play, but fans online were quick to point out the history between the two teams. Just days prior to this game, Panthers forward A.J. Greer was fined for roughing Hagel during Thursday's contest.
Ekblad's status for the Panthers' opening night game against the Blackhawks on Tuesday is now uncertain. Should he be unavailable, Seth Jones and Gustav Forsling are likely candidates to fill the void on the blue line, while Jeff Petry could see an increase in power-play time.
Both the Lightning and the Panthers are set to begin their regular seasons next week but will not face each other again until November 15.
