The Florida Panthers will be on high alert when an old foe travels south for a Saturday afternoon affair.
The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions can expect a testy bout with the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially if the last preseason matchup is any indication.
In their final tune-up for the regular season on Oct. 4, the teams put on a fight-filled exhibition finale for the ages that appeared to be more about getting knockouts than scoring goals.
Florida won 7-0, but the game will long be remembered for the scrums and scuffles that resulted in 182 penalty minutes for the visiting Lightning, who had six Syracuse call-ups total 77 themselves. The Panthers received 140 minutes in a game that had 65 total penalties.
If they had occurred in the regular season, the 322 penalty minutes would have been the ninth-most in history.
“That’s a first for me,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said in the aftermath, while having only three players on his bench after 12 combined game misconducts. “I think we had more coaches than players on the bench at one point.”
Cooper’s bunch is battered as it enters a rematch that is expected to feature more brawling.
In a 7-3 home debacle Wednesday at the hands of the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay played without defensemen Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh plus forwards Anthony Cirelli and Dominic James.
And it became worse early on as Brandon Hagel, who entered the game with seven goals in the past seven games, took a hard hit to the chin from defenseman Carson Soucy.
Hagel left the ice in anger after just three shifts and smashed his stick before heading down the tunnel. The former two-time 30-goal scorer did not return.
Hagel, Cirelli, Jake Guentzel and Nikita Kucherov are tied for the team lead with seven tallies apiece, while Hedman leads with a dozen assists.
“You have to play your way through it, and this wasn’t our night,” Cooper said.
On Thursday, while opening a stretch that has 11 of 12 games at home, the Panthers defeated the visiting Washington Capitals 6-3 as Florida’s Brad Marchand took center stage at the end.
The 37-year-old winger became the 102nd NHL player to reach 1,000 points with the primary assist on an empty-net goal with 1:30 left by Eetu Luostarinen, who posted a career-high three points.
The jubilant Panthers jumped over the boards and celebrated with Marchand, and the fans gave a standing ovation in a special moment for the two-time Stanley Cup winner.
Seth Jones’ 100th goal was just the second by a Florida defenseman this season and goaltender Daniil Tarasov (37 saves) notched his first Panthers win, but the late drama belonged to Marchand.
“It’s still very surreal. I never could have imagined being part of two incredible franchises and being so blessed to play the game as long as I have,” said Marchand, who assisted on Jones’ tally. “I’m having so much fun with this team. Such an incredible group … I’m just really truly enjoying every day.”
Added Florida forward Carter Verhaeghe: “He’s unstoppable. I mean, I don’t know how he does it. Every game, to have that kind of motor and be going every night.”
