The LA Kings host the Tampa Bay Lightning for their first game of 2026 as they look to start off the New Year with a win.
Happy New Year! The Kings host the Tampa Bay Lightning today for their first game of 2026. The Kings are looking to have a much better month than they did in December. The Kings played 13 games last month, winning 4 and losing 9, so they are looking to turn that around in January. The Kings are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on December 29th. The Lightning are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks yesterday as they look to win back-to-back games.
Projected Kings Lines
Here are the projected lines for the Kings tonight:
Alex Laferriere - Anze Kopitar - Adrian Kempe
Warren Foegele - Quinton Byfield - Trevor Moore
Kevin Fiala - Alex Turcotte - Andrei Kuzmenko
Joel Armia - Samuel Helenius - Corey Perry
Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci
Darcy Kuemper
Anton Forsberg
Projected Lightning Lines
Here are the projected lines for the Lightning tonight:
Gage Goncalves - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Jake Guentzel
Zemgus Girgensons - Yanni Gourde - Pontus Holmberg
Nick Paul - Jack Finley - Oliver Bjorkstrand
J.J. Moser - Darren Raddysh
Charle-Edouard D'Astous - Erik Cernak
Declan Carlile - Max Crozier
Jonas Johansson
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Line Changes and Injuries
The Kings activated goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the injured reserve on Tuesday, and Phoenix Copley was sent down to the Ontario Reign. It is still not decided who will start for the Kings tonight, but there is a possibility that Kuemper is the starting goalie. Tampa did not hold a morning skate after yesterday's win, and with Vasilevskiy starting, Jonas Johansson is the starter tonight.
Key Factors
The Kings had their hardest matchup last game against the Avalanche, and the game before they put up 6 goals against the Ducks, showing they are capable of an elite offence. The Kings' biggest issue this year has been offence, as their goaltending and defence have been strong so far this season. On the other hand, while the Kings have been good at keeping the puck out of their net, they continue to struggle to score, averaging 2.58 goals per game.
The Kings have only 4 players with more than 20 points, and only 1 has more than 30. If the Kings want to be a competitive playoff team, they will need to address their offensive struggles sooner rather than later.
Tonight's game against the Lightning is not going to be easy, as Kucherov has 9 points in his last 5 games and is not showing any signs of slowing down, even on the back end of back-to-back games. If the Kings can provide more offence tonight while still maintaining their strong defence, they can start 2026 with a win. My prediction for tonight is a 4-3 win for the Kings.