The Battle of Florida has clearly lost none of its fire over the offseason, as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers slashed, checked, and fought their way through the final two preseason games of the year. 508 penalty minutes over the course of the two games on Thursday and Saturday, 322 of those penalty minutes on Saturday alone, these two teams exploded on each other.
The start of this two game long brawl truly began back in April, when in game 2 of the first round between the Panthers and Lightning, Brandon Hagel was assessed a 5-minute major penalty for interference on Alex Barkov. Barkov would leave the game, and Hagel would receive further supplementary discipline in a one-game suspension. Barkov would rejoin the Panthers for the remainder of their Stanley Cup run.
Upon Hagel’s return in game 4, it was clear that the Panthers were not ready to let bygones be bygones, as Aaron Ekblad seemingly took matters into his own hands and delivered an elbow to the head of Hagel, causing Hagel to leave the game and miss the rest of the series with a concussion. Ekblad was not penalized on the play, however he was suspended the next day for two games for an illegal elbow to the head.
The rest of the series continued to see many undisciplined and otherwise borderline plays throughout, many coming from the hands of the Panthers, but no further suspensions were doled out. The Panthers would go on to win the series in five games, and that seemed to be the end of that. We were wrong.
Thursday night kicked things off, with the Panthers and Lightning going into their second of three games to close out the NHL preseason, and Brandon Hagel is in the lineup to face off against the Panthers for the first time since April. One could say he was a target for the Panthers the moment his skates hit the ice, as midway through the first period, A.J Greer surprises Brandon Hagel with a cross-check to the back away from the play. Greer then followed up with several punches to the head of the unsuspecting Hagel.
This was the first match to set the blaze that would be the rest of Thursday’s game and the entirety of Saturday’s. Greer received two minor penalties on the play, along with a ten minute misconduct penalty. Following Greer’s attack on Hagel, the box score blew up with penalties, with 166 total penalty minutes throughout the remainder of the game.
You would think following an incident like that, where a player was seemingly targeted, and a hockey game gets so out of hand after, that the NHL’s Department of Player Safety would jump on the opportunity to hand out punishment, as to deter something similar from happening again (as soon as two days later). Alas, the verdict came out that A.J Greer would receive $2,213.54, the maximum allowable under the CBA, and would receive no further supplementary discipline. No other player would receive action from the NHL.
Well Saturday came quickly, and the thoughts of the last game were fresh in the minds of all those who would be lacing them up for round two. The Lightning clearly came into Saturday’s game with the mindset that, if the league would not stand up for their players, the players would have to stand up for each other.
Early in Saturday’s game, Scott Sabourin lines up Aaron Ekblad behind the Panthers’ net and delivers a massive hit that knocks Ekblad to the ice. Sabourin then abandons the play and goes after Ekblad further, landing several punches to Ekblad’s head. A line brawl ensues, and Sabourin gets a 15-minute match penalty and is ejected from the game, mere second into his first shift.
All hell breaks loose from there. Verhaeghe lands a dangerous hit from behind on Zemgus Girgensons, resulting in Girgensons leaving the game with an injury, and Verhaeghe getting a game misconduct. J.J Moser followed up the class act with a dangerous boarding penalty of his own on Jesper Boqvist, resulting in another game misconduct. 322 total penalty minutes, 16 game ejections, and more fighting than anyone dared to count, this game was not about hockey.
The Panthers would go on to win the game 7-0, though that hardly seems to be a takeaway worth caring about. The game ended up being a pricey one for Tampa Bay, as they were the only team to receive discipline from the league for the game. Scott Sabourin received a four-game suspension for roughing on Ekblad, J.J Moser received a 2 game suspension for boarding on Boqvist, as well the Tampa Bay Lightning were fined $100,000, and Jon Cooper $25,000.
Although it’s easy to look at the Lightning as the instigators of this fiasco, and the reason it played out like it did, the real blame falls upon the NHL and the Department of Player Safety, for their handling of these players and these games. Hockey is an amazing sport, but a dangerous one, and sometimes things get out of hand. When that happens, it is up to the NHL and the Department of Player Safety to enforce their rules, to punish those who break them, and to keep the game safe.
Sadly, time and time again, the league remains incredibly inconsistent with its rulings and punishments, leaving fans confused and players feeling like they need to take matters into their own hands. That is when you get games like these. Games that aren’t about hockey, but about sending a message not only to the other team, but to the league itself. Protect us or we will be forced to protect ourselves.
The Lightning will be back in action for their home opener Thursday night against the Senators, and will face the Panthers for the first time in the regular season on November 15th.
