NHL goaltenders are getting increasingly feisty!
Sunday’s matchup between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning figured to be memorable for being played in the outdoor “Stadium Series” setting at Raymond James Stadium. However, the game will likely generate conversation for a different reason.
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Approximately midway through the second period, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman took issue with Lightning winger Brandon Hagel poking a puck between his pads after a power-play shot from Nikita Kucherov. After the whistle blew, Swayman went after Hagel, tackled him to the ice and began throwing punches at him.
Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and winger Tanner Jeannot pulled Hagel away and covered him, presumably to protect their goaltender. But then Swayman noticed Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy leaving his crease and skating down the ice for a confrontation.
Swayman skated toward the center line to meet Vasilevskiy and they were ready to rumble.
The Bruins’ goaltender quickly ditched his gloves and helmet and gestured for Vasilevskiy to do the same. the two wrestled each other before the Lightning goalie landed the first punch and forced Swayman to the ice before referees stepped in to separate the combatants.
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Apparently thrilled by the clash, Vasilevskiy tapped Swayman on the head as they were pulled apart and smiled broadly. As could be expected, players on both benches stood and tapped their sticks on the boards to show respect for their teammates’ pugilistic tendencies. Each goalie was assessed a five-minute penalty for fighting.
Sunday’s face-off was the first fight for both goaltenders during their NHL careers. However, Swayman has previously attempted to throw hands, first with Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll during the 2023-24 campaign and Los Angeles Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper last season. In both instances, referees broke up those potential scuffles before a punch was thrown.
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The confrontation occurred nearly two weeks after the San Jose Sharks’ Alex Nedeljkovic and Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky left their creases and dropped the gloves in Sunrise, Florida. (Maybe it’s something about playing hockey in Florida that has goalies itching for a fight.)
Prior to these two scraps, no goalies had fought in an NHL game since 2020, according to SportsNet.
The Lightning came into Sunday’s matchup with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 34-14-4. The Bruins currently hold the seventh spot in the conference standings at 32-20-3.
