Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are scheduled and offers insight and analysis to help predict who will be victorious in head-to-head matchups.

As the 4-Nations Face-Off tournament and the resulting break loom in February, the Tampa Bay Lightning are seeking one key as January comes to a close: normalcy. After playing 15 games in 27 days, the Lightning will close a mediocre January on Thursday night against the visiting Los Angeles Kings.

By traditional goaltending standards, Connor Hellebuyck should not be one of the best goalies in the NHL. He’s not an elite skater, he doesn’t have elite reflexes or flexibility, he doesn’t even really have great save selection.

Marc-Andre Fleury, MIN at MTL (20% rostered) Jakub Dobes, MTL vs. MIN (22% rostered)

Vasilevskiy (illness) will be a game-time decision against the Kings on Thursday, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports. Coach Jon Cooper said that he is "hopeful" than Vasilevskiy will be ready to play against the Kings.

Thursday’s NHL schedule features a contest between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Los Angeles Kings at Amalie Arena, with the puck dropping at 7:00 PM ET. Whether you’re looking to make a single bet or plan to put together a parlay,

The NHL’s nation-based tournament is not the Olympics, and it isn’t really an all-star game either. Instead of the typical all-star format used by nearly every other professional sports league, the NHL opted to create the 4 Nations Face-Off, featuring teams of players from Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden.

Who are the NHL’s best goalies this season? Recently, NHL.com ranked the top fantasy goalies in 2024-25. The results were no surprise. Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets), Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals),

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday. Thompson scored in each period en route to his seventh career hat trick and first of the season,

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

Connor Bedard scored from a seemingly impossible angle as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Tuesday night, and the star forward said after the victory that "I've tried that shot a million times and I finally put one in.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy missed sat for Tampa Bay with an illness, and emergency backup Kyle Konin, 27, dressed for his fourth NHL game