150 Minutes of Hockey

In Toronto, Canada, at 3:09 pm Eastern Time, the puck was dropped on the ice, beginning the game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets. No one on the ice knew at the time that the puck would not be taken off the ice until 9:22 pm to mark the end of the game. 

The game started normally and finished the 3rd period with a tied score of 2-2. Typically, when this happens, the teams go into one or two overtimes, but rarely five. On August 11, 2020, Tampa Bay and Columbus reached the fourth-longest hockey game played in NHL history; the longest game in NHL history lasted 150 minutes and 27 seconds. The Boston Bruins were supposed to play the Carolina Hurricanes at 8 pm, but their game had to be postponed until Wednesday morning. 

None of the players had eaten since breakfast, but they had to be careful about what they consumed due to the risk of cramping on the ice. Between periods, they spent time drinking water and Gatorade and eating bananas and power bars while simultaneously planning how to end the game with a win. Coach Jon Cooper had a salmon salad waiting for him in the coaches' room, but he did not eat it because he did not want to “break the karma.”

With 10:27 left in the 5th overtime, Brayden Point scored on the Blue Jackets, giving Tampa Bay a 3-2 win. After, when asked about the game-winning shot Point said, "I just see a rolling puck come to me and I just throw it on net, I’m not even really aiming. Just sling one there and lucky enough, it finds a corner."

The teams had a combined total of 151 shots on goal, the Lighting with 88, and the Blue Jackets with 63. Joonas Korpisalo, the goalkeeper for the Blue Jackets, finished the game with 85 saves. Seth Jones, a defenseman for the Blue Jackets, had a total ice time of 63:55. This is the longest time a single-player has spent on the ice in one game since 1997. 

After the Blue Jackets, the Lightning beat the Boston Bruins. They are currently moving on to the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Based on how the other games play out, the Lightning will either play the Philadelphia Flyers or the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference Final.