Even before the puck was dropped, this was going to be one of the most memorable games in Lightning history. Their first home outdoor game, played in front of over 64,000 fans, was to take place on one of the coldest nights in well over a decade.
Then the puck was dropped.
This Stadium Series matchup featured a number of ‘firsts’ in league outdoor game history, as well as several franchise-record-setting (or tying) marks. And there was a goalie fight.
The Lightning opened the scoring just eleven seconds into the game. After Anthony Cirelli won the opening faceoff, Darren Raddysh passed the puck to Nikita Kucherov, who gave it to Brandon Hagel. Hagel made his way to the high slot in the Boston end and snapped a wrist shot over the stick of Jeremy Swayman.
The goal tied the franchise record for fastest goal to begin a game. It was the fastest goal in outdoor game history (this being the 45th such game).
But the Hagel goal might have been the lone highlight for the home fans over the next period and a half as Boston decisively outplayed the Lightning. Tampa Bay struggled with turnovers, rush coverage, and defensive-zone coverage. The Bruins dominated possession for the majority of the first period, outshooting the Lightning, 20-8, and producing numerous good looks. They tied the game at 11:24 when Alex Steeves got open in the slot and buried a centering feed from former Lightning forward Mikey Eyssimont. The play started with the Lightning failing to clear the puck from the defensive zone. Another failed clearing attempt led to the second Boston goal. Jonathan Aspirot picked off a puck along the boards and fired a shot over the net. The rebound came to Charlie McAvoy at the top of the right circle. Morgan Geekie established position in front of Andrei Vasilevskiy and tipped McAvoy’s shot into the net at 15:36. Soon after, the Lightning took their third penalty of the period, and the Bruins cashed in. Boston disrupted a Lightning clearing attempt and held the puck in the offensive zone. Viktor Arvidsson was left open in front to tip in McAvoy’s right-point shot at 18:03.
Before the first period ended, the Lightning lost Cirelli following an open-ice check from Mark Kastelic. Having gone with an 11F-7D lineup, they played the rest of the game with just 10 forwards.
The Lightning owned more possession at the start of the second period, but they yielded two goals off the rush. On the first of those, Kastelic set up Matt Poitras for an open backhander in the slot that went in under the crossbar at 2:22. At 8:18, Geekie finished a three-on-one rush when he ripped a David Pastrnak cross-ice pass past Vasilevskiy.
Less than a minute later, however, the momentum of the game drastically shifted. The Bruins began taking penalties.
This has been a problem for Boston the entire season. The Bruins lead the NHL in times shorthanded. They own the worst special teams time differential in the league as well, entering the outdoor game at minus 87:01 minutes. In other words, they’d been shorthanded for 87 more minutes than they’ve been on the power play. (That number is now minus 93:39.)
In a span of six minutes and 38 seconds, the Bruins took five separate penalties leading to Lightning power-play chances, including two five-on-threes. The Lightning converted on three of those five opportunities (including on both five-on-threes), cutting the 5-1 deficit to 5-4. Oliver Bjorkstrand snapped a rebound from close range into the top of the net at 10:28. Darren Raddysh and Nick Paul added the five-on-three power-play goals. Raddysh extended his goal streak to four games, setting a Lightning franchise record for defensemen.
This key segment in the game also featured the goalie fight. When Hagel jabbed at a puck that was underneath Swayman, the Bruins took exception. Both McAvoy and Swayman reacted on Hagel. Seeing Swayman involved, Vasilevskiy left the crease and skated to center ice. Swayman joined him, and the two goalies fought, delighting the crowd and both benches.
The game was 5-4 entering the third, which turned out to be the most defensive-minded period of the game. The clubs combined to post just 12 shots on net. Fortunately for the Lightning, one of theirs went in. Kucherov accepted a cross-ice pass from Ryan McDonagh and rifled a right-circle one-timer inside the short-side post, tying the game at 11:50.
The Lightning generated a rush chance early in overtime. Kucherov passed to J.J. Moser at the left circle, and Pastrnak slashed him in an attempt to disrupt the play. The officials called the penalty on Pastrnak but inexplicably failed to blow the whistle when the Bruins countered with the puck. Swayman skated to the bench for an extra attacker, and Pastrnak finished a right-circle shot past Vasilevskiy’s stick. The referees should have blown the play dead once the Bruins gained possession. But the fact that they erred doesn’t change the fact that the penalty was committed.
The Lightning registered four shots on net and eight total attempts during that four-on-three power play in OT. Back at even strength, they had a chance to win the game in the final minute of OT when Kucherov got a breakaway, but Swayman made the save. On the ensuing faceoff, Paul won a puck battle and skated to the front of the net. Hampus Lindholm took a hooking penalty to prevent a scoring chance. Swayman made one final save on Hagel during that shortened final Lightning power play.
In the shootout, the teams were scoreless through two rounds. Jake Guentzel beat Swayman on the glove side in round three. Pastrnak needed a goal to extend the game, but he put his shot off the post.
The triumph was the largest comeback victory in Lightning history (and the largest in outdoor game history).
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Nikita Kucherov — Lightning. Goal and three assists.
- Jake Guentzel — Lightning. Shootout winner and two assists.
- Morgan Geekie — Bruins. Two goals and assist.
