Feb. 2 (UPI) — Goalie fights are already rare, but Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy made history when they exchanged blows in Tampa, Fla., becoming the first net-minders to fight during the outdoor Stadium Series.

Swayman and Vasilevskiy vacated the pipes in the second period of the matchup between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The Lightning cited Vasilevskiy’s role in the bout for fueling a 6-5 comeback victory in overtime.

“It’s one of the biggest moments for me, because I never fought in the NHL,” Vasilevskiy told reporters. “Big thanks to him.

“He was great in the net all game and great in the fight as well.”

The dustup between the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Vasilevskiy and 6-foot-3, 195-pound Swayman occurred with 8:58 remaining in the second period.

Swayman made a save, but Lightning forward Brandon Hagel attempted to poke the puck loose from under the Bruins ‘ netminder. Swayman responded by jumping on Hagel.

The interaction resulted in a fight between the two teams and triggered Vasilevskiy to vacate his crease and skate to the opposite blue line. Swayman responded by dropping his stick. Both goalies proceeded to remove their helmets and drop their gloves at center ice.

Swayman and Vasilevskiy exchanged several punches before they eventually separated. Players from both teams cheered on the goaltenders as their firsts flew. Swayman and Vasilevskiy were each assessed with five-minute major penalties.

“Fighting the biggest, toughest goalie in the league, so it wouldn’t be my first choice, but glad we got the first one out of the way,” Swayman said. “I’m probably retired after that. … Worthy opponent.

“He wanted to win, which was good. So did I. It’s game respecting game. We see fights every single game. Just got that one out of the way.”

The Lighting trailed 5-2 at the time of the fracas. About five minutes later, defenseman Darren Raddysh and forward Nick Paul lit the lamp for two Lightning goals in a span of about 23 seconds.

Forward Nikita Kucherov tied the score with 8:10 remaining in regulation, eventually resulting in overtime. Neither team found the net in the bonus period.

Forward Jake Guentzel netted the lone goal of the resulting shootout, securing the first four-goal comeback victory in Lightning history.

Hagel and fellow forward Oliver Bjorkstrand also scored for the Lightning. Kucherov logged three assists, while Hagel tallied two.

Vasilevskiy totaled 29 saves. Swayman registered 41 stops. Bruins forward Morgan Geekie logged two goals and an assist in the loss.

Sunday’s goalie scuffle occurred just two weeks after net minders Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Nedeljovic met for a fight during a San Jose Sharks win over the Florida Panthers on Jan. 19 in Sunrise, Fla. They also received five-minute majors.

Vasilevskiy and Swayman exchanged handshakes and laughs after their scuffle. Vasilevskiy received 70% of the vote as the winner of the fight in a poll on HockeyFights.com. Nedeljovic was voted as the winner of his fight last month with Bobrovsky.

The Bruins and Lightning, who rank first and second, respectively, in penalty minutes among all NHL teams, combined for 40 in the Stadium Series showdown. The Lightning held a 46-34 advantage in shots on goal.

The Lightning (35-14-4), who won 17 of their last 19 games and are on a three-game winning streak, remain atop the Eastern Conference.

They will host the seventh-place Buffalo Sabres (31-18-5) at 7:30 p.m. EST Tuesday in Tampa.

The Bruins (32-20-4), who sit at No. 5 in the Eastern Conference, will battle the 11th-place Panthers (28-23-3) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Sunrise.

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