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Greg Wyshynski
TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Lightning credited the first goalie fight in an NHL outdoor game for helping to spark their historic Stadium Series comeback win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
With 8:59 left in the second period and the Bruins leading 5-2, Lightning forward Brandon Hagel tried to poke the puck from under Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman after a save. Swayman jumped Hagel next to his crease, leading to a melee between the teams while the Lightning were on the power play. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy skated out to center ice during the chaos.
«I just saw Sway was swinging the blocker on [Hagel] a bit, so it was just a reflex to go to the red line and challenge him. He accepted,» Vasilevskiy said.
Swayman spotted the Tampa Bay goalie, dropped his stick and skated out to meet Vasilevskiy for a brawl. Swayman took off his gloves and mask and signaled to Vasilevskiy to remember to remove his mask before the fists flew.
Nikita Kucherov. «I was so happy. I was so fired up. I think the bench felt it. Everyone in the building felt it. Ever since that fight, the game was turned. Vasy had to do it, I guess. He had to wake us up.»
won 6-5 in a shootout.
Tampa Bay’s rally from a four-goal deficit to win marked the largest comeback victory in franchise history and the largest comeback win ever in an NHL outdoor game.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he could feel the momentum starting to swing before the fight, but the goalie throwdown was an emotional high the Lightning needed at that moment.
«I was like, ‘Thank goodness something positive was going to happen to our game,'» he said. «I give Boston a lot of credit. They took it to us and we weren’t prepared for it. Vasy was pissed.»
Hagel said he felt the fight was «a big turning point in the game.»
So did Kucherov, who was also convinced that his goalie would win the fight.
«I knew he was going to beat the wheels off of Swayman right away,» said Kucherov. «We call him ‘White Tyson’ now.»
