Panthers have goal taken away because an illegal player was involved
You don’t see this often.
As explained by Tampa Bay Lightning broadcaster Dave Randorf, the Florida Panthers‘ eighth goal against the Lightning on Saturday night was taken back because the Panthers had a player who was previously ejected on the ice when the goal occurred.
The Panthers' 8th goal was taken off the board because a player who participated in the goal had been ejected earlier in the game and was illegally on the ice 😳
Never seen anything like this before 👀 pic.twitter.com/dxOw5x0HvO
Niko Mikkola was previously ejected from the heated game – a night that saw 13 ejections. Adam Boqvist managed to score to make it 8-0, but because Mikkola was involved (via an assist), the goal was taken back and the Panthers were given a penalty as a result.
It was as wild of a game as you’ll find, with the two teams combining for 274 penalty minutes. That included Mikkola, who was given a game misconduct at 4:01 in the third period, prior to the 8-0 goal. The Panthers were given a bench penalty at 14:55 once it was known that Mikkola was ineligible to continue playing. The game misconduct list was immense.
The full penalty report can be found below, but, clearly, penalties took center stage in the wildest rivalry matchup you’ll find in an NHL preseason game. And it was to be expected, too. Just two nights prior, the two teams combined for 186 penalty minutes, re-igniting a long-standing feud that had been further reignited during the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Panthers have won the past two Stanley Cups, but the two teams have made up the Eastern Conference finalists dating back to the 2020 bubble when the Bolts won their first of two consecutive titles.
If this is the type of hockey you love to see, don’t fret. The two teams will meet four times in 2025-26, with the first matchup coming on Saturday, Nov. 15. Saturday’s game marked the end of the preseason for both teams, with the Panthers hosting Chicago on Tuesday night, while Tampa Bay will start its season two nights later against Ottawa.
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