Red Wings host Kings in home opener of three-game stand

Detroit looks to sweep season series against Los Angeles after 4-3 shootout win in October

Jan. 27, 2026 at 5:47pm

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The Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings, both riding five-game point streaks, will face off at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday night. The Red Wings (32-16-5, 69 points) are seeking a season sweep of the Kings (21-16-13, 55 points) after a 4-3 shootout victory in Los Angeles on October 31. Detroit is coming off a 5-1 road win over the Winnipeg Jets, while the Kings' most recent game was a 5-4 victory against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

Why it matters

The Red Wings and Kings are both in the hunt for Western Conference Wild Card playoff spots, making this an important matchup between two teams looking to gain ground. Detroit will be without defenseman Simon Edvinsson until after the Olympic break, so strong two-way play from the forwards will be crucial to support the blue line.

The details

The Red Wings scored five unanswered goals, four in the third period, in their win over Winnipeg. Goaltender John Gibson made 26 saves for his eighth straight victory. Los Angeles has been led offensively by Adrian Kempe (17 goals, 22 assists) and Kevin Fiala (18 goals, 18 assists), while veteran Darcy Kuemper has handled the majority of the goaltending duties.

  • The game is scheduled for Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
  • The Red Wings and Kings previously met on October 31, 2025, with Detroit winning 4-3 in a shootout.

The players

Elmer Soderblom

A forward for the Detroit Red Wings.

Emmitt Finnie

A forward for the Detroit Red Wings.

John Gibson

The goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings who made 26 saves in their recent win over Winnipeg.

Adrian Kempe

A forward for the Los Angeles Kings who has 17 goals and 22 assists this season.

Kevin Fiala

A forward for the Los Angeles Kings who has 18 goals and 18 assists this season.

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What they’re saying

“It's always fun to see the Red Wings jerseys in the crowd, even on the road. The fans help us a lot. They bring the energy to our game, so they've really been huge for us and they always will be.”

— Elmer Soderblom (nhl.com)

“It's just going to be about having a good start and matching their energy early. It's always good to be at home. I feel like we play our best hockey at home, so looking forward to these games.”

— Emmitt Finnie (nhl.com)

What’s next

The Red Wings will look to complete the season sweep of the Kings on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena.

The takeaway

This matchup between two teams fighting for Western Conference Wild Card playoff positioning should be an exciting one, with the Red Wings hoping to continue their strong play at home and the Kings looking to avenge their earlier loss to Detroit.