Minnesota Wild at Los Angeles Kings
NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings on Jan 03, 2026. Final score: Minnesota Wild 4, Los Angeles Kings 5.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 03, 2026 |
| Venue | Crypto.com Arena |
| Minnesota Wild score | 4 |
| Los Angeles Kings score | 5 |
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 | Kevin Fiala | L | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22:30 | 1.22 | 2.78 |
| 2nd | Brock Faber | D | 1 | 1 | 3 | 23:20 | 0.37 | 1.89 |
| 3rd | Anze Kopitar | C | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22:03 | 0.30 | 1.82 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Minnesota Wild–Los Angeles Kings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 06:08 | LAK | Adrian Kempe | Anze Kopitar, Alex Laferriere | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 08:28 | MIN | Jake Middleton | Mats Zuccarello, Zach Bogosian | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 16:57 | LAK | Corey Perry | Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke | 5v4 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 18:23 | MIN | Joel Eriksson Ek | Quinn Hughes | 4v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 04:54 | LAK | Quinton Byfield | — | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 07:33 | MIN | Brock Faber | Danila Yurov, Kirill Kaprizov | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 3rd 12:09 | LAK | Samuel Helenius | Kevin Fiala, Alex Turcotte | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 3rd 17:03 | MIN | Matt Boldy | Brock Faber, Marcus Foligno | 5v5 | 4–4 |
| P5 00:00 | LAK | Adrian Kempe | — | 1v0 | 4–4 |
| P5 00:00 | MIN | Matt Boldy | — | 0v1 | 4–4 |
| P5 00:00 | LAK | Brandt Clarke | — | 1v0 | 4–4 |
Team Comparison
| Minnesota Wild | Los Angeles Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 5 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 38 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.35 | 5.67 |
| High-danger shots | 16 | 14 |
| Corsi % | 45.7% | 54.3% |
| Power play | 1/4 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 50.8% | 49.2% |
| Hits | 17 | 15 |
| Blocks | 21 | 18 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 19 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 4 |
Minnesota Wild Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Faber | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 23:20 | 0.37 | 1.89 |
| Matt Boldy | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 22:48 | 0.97 | 1.27 |
| Quinn Hughes | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 29:05 | 0.09 | 1.08 |
| Mats Zuccarello | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:32 | 0.63 | 0.93 |
| Kirill Kaprizov | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23:59 | 0.78 | 0.88 |
| Danila Yurov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:21 | 0.23 | 0.88 |
| Marcus Foligno | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:47 | 0.24 | 0.56 |
| Zach Bogosian | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14:26 | 0.11 | 0.21 |
| Jake Middleton | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:14 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Yakov Trenin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:49 | 0.01 | -0.01 |
| Marcus Johansson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:00 | 0.12 | -0.15 |
| Joel Eriksson Ek | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 23:12 | 0.35 | -0.28 |
| Ryan Hartman | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:11 | 0.00 | -0.38 |
| Nico Sturm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:04 | 0.17 | -0.39 |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:34 | 0.03 | -0.39 |
| Vladimir Tarasenko | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:35 | 0.26 | -0.46 |
| Jonas Brodin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:23 | 0.05 | -1.07 |
| Jared Spurgeon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:02 | 0.14 | -1.49 |
Los Angeles Kings Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Fiala | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 22:30 | 1.22 | 2.78 |
| Anze Kopitar | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22:03 | 0.30 | 1.82 |
| Quinton Byfield | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 20:47 | 0.79 | 1.76 |
| Corey Perry | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 12:40 | 0.77 | 1.68 |
| Adrian Kempe | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 21:54 | 0.70 | 1.59 |
| Samuel Helenius | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4:34 | 0.12 | 1.19 |
| Brandt Clarke | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:46 | 0.32 | 1.17 |
| Cody Ceci | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:14 | 0.01 | 0.86 |
| Brian Dumoulin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:42 | 0.06 | 0.72 |
| Alex Turcotte | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:15 | 0.10 | 0.57 |
| Jeff Malott | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:42 | 0.08 | 0.46 |
| Alex Laferriere | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:36 | 0.10 | 0.23 |
| Andrei Kuzmenko | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:59 | 0.40 | 0.22 |
| Warren Foegele | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:02 | 0.11 | 0.13 |
| Joel Armia | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:39 | 0.04 | 0.03 |
| Drew Doughty | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 24:09 | 0.19 | -0.08 |
| Joel Edmundson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:49 | 0.03 | -0.20 |
| Mikey Anderson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:52 | 0.03 | -0.74 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesper Wallstedt | Minnesota Wild | 35 | 38 | 92.1% | 3.04 | O |
| Darcy Kuemper | Los Angeles Kings | 24 | 28 | 85.7% | 0.44 | W |
Analysis
The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Minnesota Wild 5–4 on Jan 03, 2026, a one-goal game.
Los Angeles Kings generated 5.67 expected goals to Minnesota Wild's 4.35 — Los Angeles Kings edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Kevin Fiala led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.78 on 1 assist, 4 shots on goal.
Jesper Wallstedt stopped 35 of 38, worth 3.04 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Minnesota Wild vs Los Angeles Kings game?
The Los Angeles Kings beat the Minnesota Wild 5–4 on Jan 03, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Los Angeles Kings 5, Minnesota Wild 4.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Kevin Fiala led all skaters at 2.78, on 0G, 1A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Los Angeles Kings generated 5.67 expected goals and Minnesota Wild generated 4.35, so Los Angeles Kings created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Minnesota Wild put 28 shots on goal and Los Angeles Kings put 38. High-danger chances went 16 to 14.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jesper Wallstedt stopped 35 of 38 (3.04 goals saved above expected); Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 of 28 (0.44 goals saved above expected).