Photo credit: Jeff Romance-Imagn Images
Battle of Florida heat rises, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Scott Sabourin headline two fresh NHL Player Safety fines.
Madness broke out in Panthers vs Lightning game Saturday night
Sunday brought a familiar soundtrack in Sunrise, whistles, scrums, and two separate max fines under the CBA. Tampa Bay's Scott Sabourin got dinged $2,018.23 for slashing Florida's Niko Mikkola, and Florida's Anton Lundell caught a $5,000 fine for high-sticking Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel.
What makes it pop is the context, this wasn't some sleepy midseason bump. Reuters counted 45 penalties in Tampa Bay's 4-2 win, with the Lightning piling up 87 penalty minutes and the Panthers 49, both season highs.
Sabourin is basically built for this series. Tampa Bay signed the 33-year-old to a one-year, two-way deal in July, then recalled him again on Saturday, and he plays like every shift is a tryout for chaos.
Scott Sabourin, Anton Lundell stoke Battle of Florida
As a fan watching this rivalry, it never feels random, it feels personal, like both benches keep receipts from April.
Lundell is supposed to be Florida's calm, two-way glue, a 24-year-old former 12th overall pick who's locked in at a $5 million cap hit.
The Guentzel part is the tell, too. Tampa didn't just survive the mess, it scored short-handed, with Guentzel burying one in the first period while the Panthers chased the game on a 1-for-11 power play.
Mikkola is the kind of defender who drags opponents into board battles, he's 6-foot-6 and 29, and Florida has leaned on his reach and edge during its recent runs.
Now both teams reset fast, Florida hosts Washington on Monday, and the state rivalry keeps simmering until the next meeting before the February break.