Bruins squander 5-1 lead, lose 6-5 to Lightning in Stadium Series shootout at Raymond James

Boston’s outdoor showcase turns into a historic collapse

The Boston Bruins surrendered a four-goal advantage and lost 6-5 in a shootout to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in the NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The game drew 64,617 fans and became the largest comeback in NHL outdoor game history, with Tampa Bay erasing a 5-1 deficit before prevailing in the skills competition.

Boston built its cushion during an eventful first half of the night, getting two goals from Morgan Geekie as part of a five-goal outburst. Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Steeves and Matthew Poitras also scored for the Bruins. Tampa Bay’s early response was limited, leaving the Lightning facing a four-goal hole midway through the second period.

Special teams swing the momentum

Tampa Bay’s comeback pivoted on a sequence of power plays that compressed the game quickly. After falling behind 5-1, the Lightning scored twice on a 5-on-3 advantage in a span of 23 seconds, igniting a run of four unanswered goals that ultimately forced the contest level. Oliver Bjorkstrand, Darren Raddysh and Nick Paul were credited with power-play goals during the rally, while Brandon Hagel added a goal and two assists as Tampa Bay’s pressure intensified.

Nikita Kucherov drove the Lightning’s offense throughout the turnaround, finishing with a goal and three assists. He also scored the tying goal in the third period, completing Tampa Bay’s climb back into the game and setting the stage for overtime and a shootout.

Shootout settles a 6-5 thriller

After the teams remained deadlocked through overtime, Jake Guentzel scored the only goal of the shootout to decide the result for Tampa Bay. Guentzel also recorded two assists in regulation. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves.

A rare on-ice fight between goaltenders adds to the night

The outdoor event also featured a rare fight between goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Vasilevskiy, a moment that underscored how quickly the game’s temperature rose as Tampa Bay’s comeback took shape.

Key facts at a glance

• Final: Lightning 6, Bruins 5 (shootout), Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026
• Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
• Attendance: 64,617
• Bruins scorers: Morgan Geekie (2), Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Steeves, Matthew Poitras
• Lightning leaders: Nikita Kucherov (1 goal, 3 assists), Brandon Hagel (1 goal, 2 assists)
• Deciding goal: Jake Guentzel (shootout)

Tampa Bay’s rally from four goals down marked the largest comeback in outdoor NHL game history.