The Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers are going into this season with a lot to prove and it showed early in their season opener on Thursday.
After a brief sequence in the Panthers’ zone, Florida’s Dmitry Kulikov engaged Ryan Garbutt while the Stars’ Antoine Roussel simultaneously got into a fight with Mike Weaver.
After the dust settled, 50 penalty minutes were handed out, Kulikov and Garbutt were booted from the game, and the Panthers were awarded a power play on the strength of Roussel’s instigator penalty.
You can view the fight below:
Florida didn’t capitalize on the power play that followed, but they did earn a 4-2 victory thanks in part to Tim Thomas’ efforts. It’s a great start for a Panthers’ team that’s hoping to get right back into the playoffs after a disappointing 2013 campaign.
Meanwhile, GM Jim Nill’s revamped Stars will look to rebound on Saturday against the Washington Capitals.