Tampa Bay Lightning at Los Angeles Kings
NHL game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Los Angeles Kings on Jan 02, 2026. Final score: Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Los Angeles Kings 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 02, 2026 |
| Venue | Crypto.com Arena |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 5 |
| Los Angeles Kings score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 2 | 2 | 20:51 | 0.58 | 2.08 |
| 2nd | Corey Perry | R | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11:29 | 0.18 | 1.54 |
| 3rd | Anthony Cirelli | C | 1 | 1 | 4 | 17:13 | 0.43 | 1.54 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Tampa Bay Lightning–Los Angeles Kings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 03:34 | TBL | Brayden Point | Jake Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov | 4v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 04:43 | LAK | Jeff Malott | Corey Perry | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 06:14 | LAK | Andrei Kuzmenko | Corey Perry, Kevin Fiala | 5v4 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 18:07 | TBL | Brayden Point | Darren Raddysh, J.J. Moser | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 01:37 | LAK | Kevin Fiala | Corey Perry, Andrei Kuzmenko | 5v4 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 16:41 | TBL | Anthony Cirelli | Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 3rd 18:19 | TBL | Gage Goncalves | Jake Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli | 5v5 | 4–3 |
| 3rd 19:15 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Darren Raddysh | 6v5 | 5–3 |
Team Comparison
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Los Angeles Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 24 | 20 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.10 | 2.52 |
| High-danger shots | 13 | 11 |
| Corsi % | 55.1% | 44.9% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 2/3 |
| Faceoff % | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Hits | 22 | 20 |
| Blocks | 12 | 21 |
| Giveaways | 10 | 19 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 6 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 20:51 | 0.58 | 2.08 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 17:13 | 0.43 | 1.54 |
| Brayden Point | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 18:56 | 0.71 | 1.50 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 24:55 | 0.05 | 1.18 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17:44 | 0.20 | 1.18 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16:50 | 0.11 | 0.75 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 18:32 | 0.21 | 0.74 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24:49 | 0.02 | 0.69 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:13 | 0.01 | 0.30 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:39 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:24 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Dominic James | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:23 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:55 | 0.09 | 0.10 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10:21 | 0.20 | 0.00 |
| Max Crozier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:25 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Nick Paul | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:58 | 0.20 | -0.05 |
| Declan Carlile | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:24 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:18 | 0.01 | -0.33 |
Los Angeles Kings Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corey Perry | R | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11:29 | 0.18 | 1.54 |
| Andrei Kuzmenko | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 16:47 | 0.15 | 1.44 |
| Kevin Fiala | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19:22 | 0.43 | 1.34 |
| Jeff Malott | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7:47 | 0.07 | 0.95 |
| Adrian Kempe | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:37 | 0.12 | 0.25 |
| Mikey Anderson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:35 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Brandt Clarke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20:20 | 0.13 | 0.20 |
| Alex Laferriere | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:25 | 0.19 | 0.15 |
| Samuel Helenius | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:22 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Brian Dumoulin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:50 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Alex Turcotte | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:49 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Joel Armia | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:11 | 0.17 | 0.05 |
| Warren Foegele | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:45 | 0.47 | 0.00 |
| Joel Edmundson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:19 | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Anze Kopitar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:53 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Drew Doughty | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:15 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Quinton Byfield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:01 | 0.17 | -0.05 |
| Cody Ceci | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:45 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Johansson | Tampa Bay Lightning | 17 | 20 | 85.0% | -0.72 | W |
| Darcy Kuemper | Los Angeles Kings | 19 | 23 | 82.6% | -1.19 | L |
Analysis
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Los Angeles Kings 5–3 on Jan 02, 2026.
Los Angeles Kings generated 2.52 expected goals to Tampa Bay Lightning's 3.1 — the run of play matched the result, with Tampa Bay Lightning earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Nikita Kucherov led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.08 on 1 goal, 2 assists, 2 shots on goal.
Jonas Johansson stopped 17 of 20, worth -0.72 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Los Angeles Kings game?
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Los Angeles Kings 5–3 on Jan 02, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Los Angeles Kings 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Nikita Kucherov led all skaters at 2.08, on 1G, 2A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Los Angeles Kings generated 2.52 expected goals and Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.1, so Tampa Bay Lightning created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Tampa Bay Lightning put 24 shots on goal and Los Angeles Kings put 20. High-danger chances went 13 to 11.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jonas Johansson stopped 17 of 20 (-0.72 goals saved above expected); Darcy Kuemper stopped 19 of 23 (-1.19 goals saved above expected).