TAMPA, Fla. – It was an evening that will not soon be forgotten. From Mother Nature to the spectacle of Tampa’s first outdoor NHL game to Andrei Vasilevskiy landing lefts to a comeback for the ages it was as though a movie script played out before 64,617 at frosty Raymond James Stadium on Sunday evening. What a way to cap Gasparilla weekend, Tampa!
Three hours before the Bolts rallied for a 6-5 shootout win over the division rival Bruins, the team arrived wearing Buccaneers’ creamsicle uniforms complete with shoulder pads and helmets. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield and offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs wore Lightning Stadium Series jerseys while leading the team from the bus and into the tunnel at RJS. As entertaining as the sight was, Brandon Hagel opened the scoring at an NHL outdoor game record 11 seconds into the contest.
READ: Tampa Bay Lightning Erase 4-Goal Deficit To Stun Boston Bruins In Stadium Series Thriller
What was that about a script? We were only getting started.
Vasy tilts the ice with his fists
Well, the Bruins tilted the ice plenty following Hagel’s early goal. The visitors took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission and, after Tim McGraw did his bit between periods, Boston scored twice more to make it five straight goals for a 5-1 lead roughly eight minutes into the second period.
The Bolts were not in a size-four hole for long. Two minutes and 10 seconds after Morgan Geekie put the Bruins up 5-1, Oliver Bjorkstrand’s powerplay goal brought the Lightning to within three. That’s when things got very interesting, very fast.
“That was the game-changing moment for our team,” said Jake Guentzel. “That’s what we needed. (Vasilevskiy) does a lot for our team and that was unbelievable to watch.”
What Guentzel saw was Vasilevskiy and Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman meet at center ice to exchange pleasantries in the form of haymakers, with Vasy landing a couple of lefts.
“The only surprising thing about it was I didn’t know Vasy was a lefty,” said coach Jon Cooper, who was later seen making his way to the clubhouse with a Cuban cigar to cap an evening in which he and his assistants wore outfits that paid homage to a Ybor City of yesteryear.
The center-stage moment was a first for both goalies.
“Thanks to him for giving me my first one,” said Vasy. “One of the biggest moments for me personally. I never fought in the NHL.”
The dustup triggered a powerplay-fueled rally that saw the Lightning score twice in 23 seconds with both goals, by Darren Raddysh and Nick Paul, coming on an extended two-man advantage resulting from the Bruins’ parade to the sin bin. Suddenly, it was 5-4, which is how the second period ended.
“Obviously, you don’t see goalies fight often in this league anymore,” said Erik Cernak. “So, it was just kind of a great spark for our team. (Vasy) took it into his own hands, being the guy to bring the momentum. I think it was huge by him and it was great to see.”
Rally complete
Nikita Kucherov’s goal with 8:10 remaining in what had been a quiet third period evened the score. With the outcome undecided after 60 minutes, there would be free hockey in a chilled RJS. The Lightning could not capitalize on an early man advantage in the extra period, nor could they take advantage of another powerplay opportunity, albeit with only 25 seconds left.
READ: From Bolts To Bucs: Lightning Break Out Creamsicle Unforms In A Nod To Tampa’s NFL Team
It was off to a shootout where Jake Guntzel’s goal decided the outcome and capped a record comeback for the home team. How did the Bolts get it done? Just point to No. 88.
“I was so fired up and I think the bench felt it and everybody in the building felt it,” said Kucherov. “Since the fight, the game turned. Vasy had to it, I guess. He had to wake us up.”
When the Bolts woke up Monday morning, they had a four-point lead with three games in hand on Detroit in the Atlantic Division. They head into Tuesday night’s game against the visiting Sabres (ESPN+ and Hulu) on a 15-1-1 roll that began with a win against Carolina on December 20.
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