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The Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins began the month of February with a goalie fight during their Stadium Series matchup at the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the second period, with the Lightning down by three goals, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman challenged Lightning star Andrei Vasilevskiy as both teams were forming a scrum anyway. Both players threw down their gloves and helmets and the bell rang.
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Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman (1), Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88), lands a punch during a goalie scramble in the second period 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 grabbed Swayman and fired a couple of left-handed shots. Swayman took a knee and the referees broke up the skirmish.
The Lightning credited the goaltender’s fight for helping them get back into the game, as they came back to win 6-5 despite being down 5-2 when the fight occurred.
“He was throwing left hands. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I didn’t want to be the other one,” 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. Since that fight, the game changed. Vasy had to do it, I guess. 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 an NHL Stadium Series hockey game on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Kucherov added: “I knew he was going to beat up Swayman right away. Now we call him ‘White Tyson.'”
Brandon Hagel echoed Kucherov’s words and said the fight was a “huge turning point in the game.”
It was the first goalie fight in the history of the outdoor games, occurring 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 penalty 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 an NHL Stadium Series hockey game on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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Tampa Bay’s victory was the largest comeback in franchise history and the largest in an NHL outdoor game. The Lightning moved to 35-14-4 and the Bruins fell to 32-20-4.
