Lightning Rally From 4 Down in Historic Stadium Series Win

Down 5-1 in the second period, the Tampa Bay Lightning did something no team had ever done in an NHL outdoor game: they clawed back from four goals down to claim victory.

The comeback happened Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium, where nearly 65,000 fans watched hockey history unfold under the Florida sky. The Lightning beat the Boston Bruins 6-5 in a shootout, marking the franchise's largest comeback win ever.

Nikita Kucherov led the charge with a goal and three assists, capping the rally with a one-timer that tied the game with just over eight minutes left. Jake Guentzel then scored the only goal in the shootout to seal the win.

The game started perfectly for Tampa Bay when Brandon Hagel scored just 11 seconds in, the fastest goal in outdoor game history. But Boston responded with five straight goals, building what looked like an insurmountable lead.

Then something unexpected sparked the Lightning's fire: their goalies got into a fight. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston's Jeremy Swayman dropped gloves and threw punches at center ice, marking the first goalie fight ever in an outdoor NHL game.

The Ripple Effect

The goalie brawl became the turning point Tampa Bay needed. "That was a game-changing moment for our team, and that's what we needed," Guentzel said after the game.

The Lightning stormed back with three power-play goals, including two scored just 23 seconds apart while Boston had two players in the penalty box. Defenseman Darren Raddysh scored in his fourth straight game, setting a franchise record for defensemen.

Coach Jon Cooper summed up the wild evening perfectly: "The game had everything. It had goalie fights, you had 11 goals, you had a shootout. That one's going to go in the memory bank."

The 41-degree temperature created perfect conditions for outdoor hockey in a state not known for winter weather. The crowd at the football stadium witnessed a game that had drama, history, and heart from start to finish.

For Tampa Bay, the win proved that no deficit is too large when a team refuses to quit.