NHL suspends two, fines Lightning after penalty-filled game

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The NHL has suspended Tampa Bay forward Scott Sabourin four games and defenseman J.J. Moser for two games for their actions in the Lightning’s preseason finale against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

Additionally, the Lightning organization was fined $100,000 and Lightning coach Jon Cooper was fined $25,000, the NHL said without further explanation.

The Lightning called up six players from their AHL affiliate in Syracuse for the game; those six combined for 77 penalty minutes and five of the six drew either a match penalty, misconduct or game misconduct during the matchup.

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The NHL rulings, handed down Monday, means Sabourin will forfeit $16,145.84 — or roughly $850 for every second that he played in Saturday’s penalty-filled debacle. Moser will lose $35,156.26.

It’s unclear when Sabourin will serve the suspension, since the Lightning sent him back to Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Monday. Sabourin played in only one NHL game last season.

Sabourin — who was on the ice for only 19 seconds Saturday — was given a match penalty for going after Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad just 2:17 into the game. That hit set the tone for a matchup where officials called 65 penalties, issued 13 game misconducts and handed out 312 penalty minutes.

At one point, the Lightning had three skaters on their bench.

“That was a first for me,” Cooper said after that game. “I think we had more coaches than players on the bench at one point.”

Moser’s suspension came for boarding Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist during that game. Moser was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct.

There were so many penalties called that the on-ice crew evidently lost track of who had been kicked out. Florida’s Niko Mikkola was credited with an assist midway through the third period on a goal by Boqvist that was disallowed about 15 minutes later because Mikkola was unaware he had been ejected earlier in the period — and therefore ineligible to be playing.

“It got silly. It got stupid by the end of it,” Florida forward Evan Rodrigues said that night. “It wasn’t really hockey out there.”

Sabourin was one of six players called up Friday by Tampa Bay for Saturday’s game. Those moves came one day after the Lightning and Panthers had another preseason game featuring 49 penalties and 186 penalty minutes.

Ekblad left Saturday’s game after the hit from Sabourin. He was able to practice Monday and is expected to play when the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions open their season at home Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.