Kings fall to Lightning to open a new year

LOS ANGELES –– If the Kings’ New Year’s resolution was improving their last-ranked power play, they got 2026 off on the right foot.

If it was to win more games at home, and overall, then they fell very, very flat.

They converted twice with the extra man for the first time all season en route to a 5-3 defeat by the Tampa Bay Lightning at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday evening.

They led 3-2 with 3:20 to play, but ceded two goals in 98 seconds off Lightning players storming their net and then an empty-net goal.