The Backcheck: Bolts celebrate Stadium Series with biggest comeback in team history

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh described the volume and energy behind the home team at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday night as a “roar”.

And to put it lightly, the Lightning gave their fans every reason to shout at the 2026 NHL Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series—Tampa Bay pulled off the greatest comeback in franchise history, overcoming a four-goal deficit to win for the first time ever in a 6-5 shootout win over the Boston Bruins.

The Lightning trailed the Bruins 5-1 in the second period but then scored four unanswered goals to force extra hockey. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all three Bruins in the shootout, and Jake Guentzel buried the lone goal in the third round for the win.

Sunday’s turning point came in an unexpected way.

With Tampa Bay trailing by four goals in the second period, Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman punched a helmet-less Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in front of the Bruins net. Vasilevskiy took exception and skated to center ice, where he and Swayman dropped the gloves for the first-ever goalie fight in NHL outdoor game history and the first of Vasilevskiy’s NHL career.

"I just saw Sway was swinging the blocker a little bit on Hags, so it was just a reflex to run to the red line and challenge him, and he accepted,” Vasilevskiy said. “So big thanks to him. I thought he was great throughout the game in net and in the fight as well. So just again, big thanks to him for giving me my first one in the NHL.”

The fight ignited the greatest comeback in franchise history—Sunday marked the first time a Lightning team has ever overcome a four-goal deficit to win a game, and they did so in front of a sold-out crowd of nearly 65,000 fans in an unusually frigid Tampa.

“Unbelievable. He’s a competitor,” McDonagh said of Vasilevskiy postgame. “You never question that out of him. His passion, his grit. He’s a Stanley Cup champion for a reason, and he’s just adding to his legacy here tonight with showing everybody he’s got some heavy lefts. He got us into the fight, for sure.”

Tampa Bay started the game with another historic note, as Hagel’s game-opening goal from the top of the circles 11 seconds after puck drop marked the fastest in any outdoor game in NHL history and also tied for the fastest goal to start a game in team history (2x, last: Ruslan Fedotenko; Feb. 4, 2006).

The Bruins took over for the rest of the first period, outshooting the Lightning 20 to eight to hold a 3-1 lead by the first intermission. The visitors then added goals from Matthew Poitras and Morgan Geekie before the midway point of the second period to grab their 5-1 advantage.

That’s when Vasilevskiy stepped in to fight Swayman, and the comeback began. The Lightning outshot the Bruins 38 to 14 after the first period, outscoring Boston 4-2.

Boston helped by starting their own Gasparilla parade, only theirs was to the penalty box. The Bruins finished the game with 11 penalties and put Tampa Bay on the power play eight times.

Oliver Bjorkstrand potted a loose puck near the net on the man advantage to make it 5-2 midway through the second period, and the Bruins then handed the Lightning an extended 5-on-3 power play with less than four minutes left in the period.

Darren Raddysh slammed home a slap shot atop the power-play to make it 5-3 with 4:10 left in the period, and Nick Paul then got to the front of the net to get his stick on a centering feed from Guentzel on the ensuing 5-on-4 power play to make it a one-goal game with 3:47 left.

“I think it even started before that,” Raddysh said of the power plays. “We never counted ourselves out. We always have belief in here. Vasy had that fight, and from then on, it just gave us more energy.”

Tampa Bay got the lone goal of the third period from leading scorer Nikita Kucherov, whose one-timer from the right circle beat Swayman over the glove following a feed from McDonagh.

Neither team scored in overtime—although Boston thought they did before officials blew the play dead on a delayed penalty call. Guentzel’s lone goal in the shootout saw him skate into the left circle, slip to the left hashmark and beat Swayman high glove.

Kucherov led the Lightning with a goal and three assists, and Hagel finished with a goal and two helpers. Guentzel finished with two assists, and Raddysh contributed his goal and one assist.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said the game had “everything”.

“It had the weather. It had the state in which doesn't usually get weather like this. It was a phenomenal atmosphere, perfect ice hockey playing conditions,” Cooper said. “I can't imagine what it looked like from up top, just the setup around the rink. The jerseys popped on both sides. You had goalie fights, you had 11 goals, you had a shootout. You had a goal scored when nobody in the building could hear a whistle. It had everything.”

Vasilevskiy ended with 29 saves, and Swayman had 41 on a night Geekie led the Bruins on offense with three points.

The win improved the Lightning to 35-14-4 this season and 17-1-1 in their last 19 games.

And they made some history along the way.

“I don't think you can get much better than this outdoor game in NHL history,” Guentzel said. “I think there was a little bit of everything. Down 5-1, to come back, get to overtime, and then there was a goalie fight. I think it had a little bit of everything in the drama and just what it meant to Tampa Bay to have an outdoor game. That was one that you'll remember for the rest of your life.”

Tampa Bay will return to Benchmark International Arena for Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. game against the Buffalo Sabres.

Benjamin’s Three Stars:

1. Nikita Kucherov, TBL (Goal, 3 assists)
2. Morgan Geekie, BOS (2 goals, assist)
3. Brandon Hagel, TBL (Goal, 2 assists)