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 | Brock Faber | D | 1 | 1 | 3 | 23:20 | 0.36 | 1.44 |
| 2nd | Quinton Byfield | R | 1 | 1 | 4 | 20:47 | 0.77 | 1.24 |
| 3rd | Jake Middleton | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15:14 | 0.04 | 1.10 |
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 | 0.36 | 1.44 |
| Jake Middleton | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:14 | 0.04 | 1.10 |
| Matt Boldy | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 22:48 | 0.63 | 0.75 |
| Zach Bogosian | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14:26 | 0.11 | 0.74 |
| Marcus Foligno | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:47 | 0.24 | 0.74 |
| Mats Zuccarello | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:32 | 0.25 | 0.69 |
| Danila Yurov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:21 | 0.23 | 0.64 |
| Kirill Kaprizov | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23:59 | 0.47 | 0.64 |
| Quinn Hughes | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 29:05 | 0.09 | 0.59 |
| Joel Eriksson Ek | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 23:12 | 1.05 | 0.55 |
| Yakov Trenin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:49 | 0.01 | 0.30 |
| Jared Spurgeon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:02 | 0.14 | 0.25 |
| Jonas Brodin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:23 | 0.05 | 0.25 |
| Vladimir Tarasenko | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:35 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Marcus Johansson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:00 | 0.12 | -0.05 |
| Ryan Hartman | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:11 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:34 | 0.03 | -0.05 |
| Nico Sturm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:04 | 0.17 | -0.10 |
Los Angeles Kings Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinton Byfield | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 20:47 | 0.77 | 1.24 |
| Adrian Kempe | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 21:54 | 0.60 | 0.95 |
| Samuel Helenius | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4:34 | 0.12 | 0.85 |
| Anze Kopitar | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22:03 | 0.13 | 0.84 |
| Alex Turcotte | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:15 | 0.10 | 0.79 |
| Corey Perry | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 12:40 | 1.96 | 0.75 |
| Kevin Fiala | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 22:30 | 1.52 | 0.64 |
| Brandt Clarke | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:46 | 0.05 | 0.64 |
| Alex Laferriere | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:36 | 0.10 | 0.59 |
| Mikey Anderson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:52 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Jeff Malott | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:42 | 0.08 | 0.10 |
| Drew Doughty | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 24:09 | 0.47 | 0.05 |
| Cody Ceci | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:14 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Brian Dumoulin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:42 | 0.06 | -0.05 |
| Joel Edmundson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:49 | 0.03 | -0.05 |
| Warren Foegele | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:02 | 0.11 | -0.05 |
| Andrei Kuzmenko | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:59 | 0.40 | -0.10 |
| Joel Armia | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:39 | 0.04 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesper Wallstedt | Minnesota Wild | 35 | 38 | 92.1% | 1.88 | O |
| Darcy Kuemper | Los Angeles Kings | 24 | 28 | 85.7% | 3.54 | 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.
Brock Faber led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.44 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 of 28, worth 3.54 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 — Brock Faber led all skaters at 1.44, on 1G, 1A and 3 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 (1.88 goals saved above expected); Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 of 28 (3.54 goals saved above expected).