Niko Mikkola had an assist on a goal that gave the Florida Panthers an 8-0 lead. Problem was, he'd been kicked out of the game a few minutes earlier and nobody noticed.

It was that kind of night between the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Scott Sabourin (46) fall to the ice during the first period of an NHL hockey preseason game, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. Lynne Sladky / AP

Florida beat Tampa Bay 7-0 in the preseason finale for both clubs Saturday night, though the score was irrelevant. There were 64 penalties for 312 minutes on the stat sheet, including 13 game misconduct penalties — seven for Tampa Bay, six for Florida.

Florida had 17 power-play chances in the game, by the NHL's coun

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