NHL fines Lundell and Sabourin for actions in penalty-heavy Panthers-Lightning game

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – The NHL fined Florida’s Anton Lundell and Tampa Bay’s Scott Sabourin for their actions in the game between the Panthers and Lightning on Saturday night, one where the teams combined for the highest penalty total the league has seen since 2011.

Lundell was fined $5,000 for high-sticking Tampa Bay forward Jake Guentzel late in the second period. Sabourin was fined $2,018.23 for slashing Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola early in the third period.

Both fines were the maximum allowed by terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The money goes to the league’s emergency assistance fund for players.

The teams combined to commit 45 penalties – 26 by Tampa Bay, 19 by Florida. No NHL regular season game has had more penalties called since the New York Islanders (34) and Pittsburgh (31) combined for 65 penalties on Feb. 11, 2011.

Tampa Bay’s 26 penalties were a franchise regular season record. Florida’s 19 penalties tied the fourth-most in club history for a regular season contest. The teams combined for 136 penalty minutes, second-most in the NHL this season; Edmonton and Calgary racked up a combined 154 on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay won the game, 4-2.

“Rivalry games, they’re intense hockey,” Guentzel said after the game.

Sabourin lost money for the second time this season following a Lightning-Panthers game. He forfeited $16,145.84 in salary by getting suspended four games for his role in a preseason penalty-fest between the clubs in October, one where the sides committed 65 penalties – 36 by Tampa Bay, 29 by Florida – and racked up 322 penalty minutes.