Lightning Strike Back: Vasilevskiy’s Goalie Fight Sparks Epic Comeback in Stadium Series Classic
TAMPA, Fla. - If you’re going to stage an outdoor NHL game in Florida, you better make it unforgettable. The Lightning and Bruins didn’t just deliver-they gave us one for the ages.
From a record-breaking goal to a full-on goalie brawl, Saturday night’s Stadium Series showdown at Raymond James Stadium had everything. And when the dust settled, Tampa Bay had pulled off a comeback for the history books, rallying from four goals down to beat Boston 6-5 in a shootout.
Let’s start with the moment that flipped the script.
Midway through the second period, with the Bruins up 5-1 and the Lightning looking like they were skating uphill in sand, Andrei Vasilevskiy decided he’d had enough. After Jeremy Swayman took a few shots at Brandon Hagel during a post-whistle scrum, Vasilevskiy bolted from his crease and met Swayman at center ice. What followed was the kind of old-school, bare-knuckle goalie fight that feels like it belongs in a different era-but it was exactly what Tampa Bay needed.
“It was just a reflex to run to the red line and challenge him,” Vasilevskiy said.
It might’ve been instinct, but it was also ignition. The crowd of 64,317 erupted.
The benches came alive. And from that moment on, the Lightning looked like a different team.
“He’s throwing lefties and righties,” Nikita Kucherov said, still buzzing afterward. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t want to be the other guy.’
Ever since that fight, the game was turned. Vasy had to do it to wake us up.”
Vasilevskiy-two-time Stanley Cup champ, Conn Smythe winner, and now unlikely enforcer-wasn’t just trying to send a message. He was trying to change the energy.
And it worked. Big time.
At the time of the fight, Tampa Bay was still trailing 5-2 after a power play goal from Oliver Bjorkstrand. But Boston unraveled in the aftermath, committing three penalties in a 90-second span-including a delay of game on Swayman.
That opened the door, and the Lightning stormed through it.
Darren Radysh and Nick Paul cashed in with two 5-on-3 goals just 24 seconds apart. Suddenly, it was 5-4, and the building was rocking like it was Game 7 of the playoffs.
Then, with eight minutes left in regulation, Kucherov-who else?-sniped the equalizer off a slick feed from Ryan McDonagh. It was a play the two have drilled over and over in summer skates, and it paid off in the biggest moment of the season so far.
Kucherov finished with four points on the night, adding to a season that’s already drawing Hart Trophy buzz. He nearly ended it in overtime on a breakaway, but Swayman stood tall with one of his 36 saves.
There was more drama in OT, too. David Pastrnak thought he’d won it for Boston with a rush goal, only to see it waved off due to a delayed slashing penalty he’d committed seconds earlier. The Bruins were stunned.
“I have no clue what happened, honestly,” Pastrnak said. “We finish the play, score a goal, and all of a sudden I’m in the penalty box. I’ve never seen something like that.”
In the shootout, Jake Guentzel was the only one to find the back of the net. Then Vasilevskiy, who had already stolen the show once, sealed it with a final save.
The crowd erupted into chants of “VASY! VASY!”
as the Lightning poured over the boards.
This wasn’t just a game-it was a spectacle. From the opening goal (Brandon Hagel scored just 11 seconds in, the fastest in outdoor NHL history) to the postgame celebrations, it was the kind of night that justifies all the logistical gymnastics it took to make it happen.
And make no mistake, this game took some doing. The NHL had never pulled off an outdoor event quite like this one.
Commissioner Gary Bettman called it an “engineering marvel,” and he wasn’t exaggerating. From the temporary rink inside an NFL stadium to the pirate-themed player entrances-complete with costumed swashbucklers, cannons, and barrels-it was a full-on production.
Even the weather cooperated. The puck dropped under unseasonably cool skies, a crisp 41.8 degrees at faceoff. Perfect hockey weather in a place better known for palm trees and playoff baseball.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper, dressed like Tony Montana in a white suit and red shirt, summed it up best.
“I needed a cigar after this one,” he said with a grin. “Holy (bleep).”
Cooper admitted his team was flat early and looked out of sync-understandable, maybe, given the spectacle surrounding them. But once the gloves came off (literally), the Lightning found their legs.
“They were quicker, faster, everything in the game,” Cooper said. “And then it got worse.
All of a sudden, it was 5-1 and I wanted to get out of this (outfit) and put on a hazmat suit. But the goalie fight got us more engaged in the game.”
That fight might go down as the turning point of the Lightning’s season. It certainly turned this game into an instant classic.
“It was one of the biggest moments for me personally,” Vasilevskiy said. “I never fought in the NHL. I’m glad I got the first one out of the way-probably retired after that.”
Even the Bruins tipped their cap.
“Pretty good entertainment, wasn’t it?” said Boston coach Marco Sturm.
Morgan Geekie, who scored twice for the Bruins, echoed the sentiment: “I’ll remember that forever.”
So will everyone who watched it. From the fans in the stands to the players on the ice, this was more than just a game. It was a memory burned into the books of hockey lore.
As McDonagh walked off the ice, he shook his head in disbelief.
“Everybody got their money’s worth,” he said. “Might have earned another outdoor game in 5-10 years.”
Maybe so. But good luck topping this one.