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The Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins kicked off the month of February with a goaltending battle during their Stadium Series game at home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the second period, with the Lightning down by three goals, Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman challenged Lightning star Andrei Vasilevskiy as both teams broke into a scrum anyway. Both players dropped their gloves and their helmets and the bell rang.
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Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) lands a shot during a second-period goaltending battle during the Winter Classic Stadium Series game between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vasilevskiy caught Swayman and threw a few left shots. Swayman went down on one knee and the referees broke up the fight.
The Lightning credited the goaltending for helping them get back into the game as they came back to win 6-5 despite being down 5-2 when the game took place.
“He threw left. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I didn’t want to be the other guy,” Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov told reporters, via ESPN. “I was so happy. I was so fired up. I think the bench felt it. Everyone in the building felt it. Ever since that match, the game was turned. Vasy had to do it, I think. He had to wake us up.”
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Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) hugs Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak after the Lightning defeated the Bruins during a shootout in a Stadium Series NHL hockey game Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Kucherov added: “I knew he was going to knock the wheels out of Swayman right away. We call him ‘White Tyson’ now.”
Brandon Hagel echoed Kucherov’s words, saying the match was a “big turning point in the game.”
It was the first goalie game in the history of the outdoor game, which took place in front of an announced crowd of 64,617 at Raymond James Stadium. Kucherov tied the game in the third period.
The Lightning won the game in a shootout thanks to goals from Kucherov, Gage Goncalves and Jake Guentzel.
Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) celebrates with the bench after his goal against the Boston Bruins during the first period of a Stadium Series NHL hockey game Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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Tampa Bay’s victory was the largest comeback victory in franchise history and the largest in an NHL outdoor game. The Lightning moved to 35-14-4 and the Bruins dropped to 32-20-4.
