Let me hear you, Sweden.
As the LA Kings hit the ice in Tampa Bay, they needed a performance from somewhere. They got it in the form of their two Swedes.
In terms of the skaters, sometimes you just need your best players to be your best players.
Step on up Adrian Kempe.
Sometimes you just need your best players to be your best players. Step on up Adrian Kempe. Massive night when the @LAKings needed it most.
— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) December 19, 2025
The LA Kings needed that win last night. They just needed it. They were up against it and they needed to get a win. On the second half of a back-to-back, facing a division leader, coming off four straight losses, in the midst of some taxing travel, the Kings needed to find something special. And they got it from Kempe, who scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay.
Both goals were really nice too and between the two of them, they embodied so many of Kempe’s greatest gifts as a player.
Beating a goaltender like Andrei Vasilevskiy clean from the slot with a wrist shot is not one that too many guys can say they’ve done. Add Kempe to that list with the tying goal.
The second goal was generated in all three zones. The interception off a poor pass in the defensive zone. Breakaway speed to maintain a step’s advantage on the backcheckers through the neutral zone, despite carrying the puck. Silky-smooth hands to deke to the backhand for the goal.
Combine the two and man, what a player that Adrian Kempe is. He’s a complete player. He values the interception in the defensive zone. He values the ability to flip the play by using his speed in transition. And he certainly values being able to put the puck in the back of the net, on a team that does not get nearly enough of that.
While so many Kings have struggled offensively this season, here’s Kempe with 30 points in 34 games played, on pace for his third consecutive season with 70+ points and his fourth season out of five with 30+ goals. He is doing it on a team that values defensive play first and he’s doing it on a team with several guys around him not producing the way they’re capable of. Offensively, Kempe willed the Kings to two goals last night on terrific individual plays. Turned out to be enough to get the two points.
I’ve written a number of times this season that the Kings aren’t a team that can be driven by superstars, by one or two guys. They need to have balanced, depth scoring, night over night, to be able to score enough goals to win games, especially if you’re talking about postseason play. In the bigger picture, I still believe that to be true. The Kings won’t make it through the season relying on one player or one line. They won’t get there by scoring two goals per game. They need a lot of guys to get going. Last night, however, Kempe shoved a bit of that narrative back the other way against the Lightning. Last night, he showed that he can be the guy that from time to time, puts the team on his back offensively and gets them over the line. He’s a dog and this team needs more dogs. The Kings don’t have a ton of guys with that in them. Good to see that the guy who is here for the next eight seasons is one who can do that.
The other story of the night was certainly Kempe’s countrymate Anton Forsberg. And what a game he had.
Look, Forsberg’s first month or so with the Kings left a lot to be desired. Early, I thought his best performances were games in which he gave up several goals, with the 6-5 win over Vegas and 4-3 loss to Carolina being standouts. The 5-2 loss against Florida on November 6 was a rough night for number 31. Since that point? You’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Forsberg has delivered exactly what the Kings have needed from him and last night was perhaps his finest showing yet. He’s got a .920 save percentage since that game. He’s done his job and last night he did far more than that.
Goalies simply don’t play back-to-back anymore. It just rarely happens. With Darcy Kuemper currently on injured reserve, the Kings had a decision to make. Forsberg played 40+ minutes in relief on Monday and went the distance against Florida on Wednesday. Would they go back to him for what more or less amounts to a 3-in-4? Or do they go with Pheonix Copley, who has given the Kings some great showings over the years, but hasn’t started in the NHL since December 2023?
The Kings opted for Forsberg and got rewarded with an outstanding showing on the road. Kempe’s two goals were great but it was Forsberg’s performance that meant two goals would be enough. Per Natural Stat Trick, Forsberg saved 2.52 goals above expected. Per SportLOGIQ, Tampa Bay had 4.68 expected goals and scored just the one. Lots of numbers to paint the picture we all saw with our eyes. Under challenging circumstances, Anton Forsberg was absolutely outstanding. Good stuff between the pipes when, again, the Kings needed someone to step up.
I’ll admit, I didn’t watch last night’s game in full detail. I was at the team’s watch party event at Tom’s Watch Bar in LA Live, working on a YouTube stream. Fun time. But I wasn’t able to watch with the usual detail I would normally put in. Still, in watching three games from afar on the road, I actually felt the Florida game was the best of the three. Last night wasn’t a defining performance, but it was as important a 60 minutes as the Kings have battled through to get a win this season.
I don’t depart last night’s game thinking things are solved. It was more of a win of relief than a win of joy. Scoring twice and winning games isn’t a sustainable formula and again, they’re going to have to get more goals from so many different places that have not delivered as expected. At some point, the margin for error needs to widen and that likely only comes by scoring more goals. I’ve got plenty of thoughts on that, trust me. For today, though, as the team takes the day off to recharge before practices tomorrow and Sunday, they do so with two more points in the bank, thanks to a pair of stellar performances from their Swedes.
How Swede it was, indeed.
