Kings, Lightning provide preview of Olympians

The Los Angeles Kings lost more games than they won in December, but there are signs their season is beginning to tilt in the right direction heading into their matchup on Thursday against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Kings are coming off a 5-2 loss on Monday at the Colorado Avalanche, who lead the league with a whopping 67 points. Los Angeles stayed within striking distance until surrendering an empty-net goal with 1:37 left and an even-strength goal with 45 seconds remaining.

"Here's the positive for me," Kings coach Jim Hiller said after the loss. "Over the last few games, we look a little bit more like (ourselves). We're playing a little freer, a little looser. We look more dangerous; we've got more speed coming through the neutral zone. There's lots of things to like from a big picture. In the end, we've got to win games. If we can play like this, we'll win games."

The Kings have been held to two goals or less in eight of the past nine games, but they continue to play solid defensively, giving up an average of 2.55 goals a game, which is second lowest in the NHL.

"Defensively, we're still doing the right things. Checking wise, effort wise, I think we're still doing the right things," Los Angeles forward Adrian Kempe said. "I think that's the most important thing, that we're still relying on our identity, all that kind of stuff. Hopefully the goals will start coming."

The Kings activated goalie Darcy Kuemper from injured reserve on Tuesday after he was unavailable the past six games because of an upper-body injury.

Kuemper learned on Wednesday he had been selected to the 2026 Canadian Olympic team.

"Darcy has a great resume," Team Canada general manager GM Doug Armstrong said. "He's got the Kings in a good spot, and he's a Stanley Cup champion (with Colorado in 2022)."

Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty made the same team, his third Olympic selection.

"Drew is an unbelievable competitor," Armstrong said. "He was excited, he's honored, he wants to put his best foot forward. He wants to win again. His passion, he wears it on his sleeve, and that's infectious for everybody."

The Lightning, meanwhile, are coming off a 4-3 overtime win at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday afternoon, their fifth win in a row and one that kept them in second place in the Atlantic Division.

"We've come a long way from having one win in our first seven games," said Tampa Bay's Jon Cooper, who coached his 1,000th NHL game on Wednesday. "There's a lot of trust in that group, and they've played the game a bunch of different ways and, in the end, they keep finding ways to sneak points out and, most nights, win."

The Lightning had three players make the Canadian Olympic team: forwards Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli.

Hagel contributed three assists in the win against the Ducks.

"It gives me shivers," Hagel said of his Olympic selection. "Being able to play for the flag is a dream come true. I never would have thought about it in many years and now, obviously, I get the opportunity. People believed in me to give me a chance to go try and win gold, play for the country, and to play for that flag on the front of the chest means the world to me."