NHL action on Saturday features the Tampa Bay Lightning (24-13-3) visiting the San Jose Sharks (20-17-3) at SAP Center at San Jose, starting at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Lightning rank second in the Eastern Conference and the Sharks are eighth in the Western Conference.
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Lightning vs. Sharks: Jan. 3 Viewing Options
- Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026
- Time: 4 p.m. ET
- How to watch on TV: ESPN+
- Location: San Jose, California
- Venue: SAP Center at San Jose
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
Lightning's 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3.35 | 4th |
| Goals Allowed | 2.65 | 4th |
| Shots | 27.3 | 20th |
| Shots Allowed | 26.6 | 7th |
| Power Play % | 17.19% | 23rd |
| Penalty Kill % | 83.7% | 3rd |
Sharks' 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3.05 | 18th |
| Goals Allowed | 3.45 | 30th |
| Shots | 25 | 30th |
| Shots Allowed | 31.2 | 31st |
| Power Play % | 18.52% | 20th |
| Penalty Kill % | 78.57% | 21st |
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Lightning vs. Sharks Top Players
Lightning
- One of Tampa Bay's top offensive players this season is Nikita Kucherov, who has put up 54 points in 36 games.
- Having scored 18 goals and adding 23 assists, Jake Guentzel is a top contributor for Tampa Bay through 40 games.
- With 35 points through 35 games (18 goals and 17 assists), Brandon Hagel has been an important part of Tampa Bay's offense this season.
- In 24 games played this season, Andrei Vasilevskiy (15-7-2) has allowed 55 goals.
Sharks
- Macklin Celebrini has scored 22 goals (0.6 per game) and collected 40 assists (1.0 per game), fueling the San Jose offense with 62 total points (1.6 per game). He takes 3.2 shots per game, shooting 17.5%.
- Will Smith has helped lead the offense for San Jose this season with 12 goals and 17 assists.
- San Jose's Tyler Toffoli is among the leaders on the team with 26 total points (10 goals and 16 assists).
- Yaroslav Askarov is 15-10-1 this season, collecting 698 saves and allowing 80 goals (3.3 goals against average) with an .897 save percentage (37th in the league).
Lightning vs. Sharks Injury Report
Lightning
Victor Hedman: Out (Elbow),
Emil Martinsen Lilleberg: Out (Undisclosed),
Ryan McDonagh: Out (Undisclosed),
Scott Sabourin: Out (Undisclosed)
Sharks
Vincent Desharnais: Out (Upper Body),
Will Smith: Out (Upper Body),
Philipp Kurashev: Out (Upper Body),
Timothy Liljegren: Day-To-Day (Upper Body),
John Klingberg: Day-To-Day (Lower Body),
Adam Gaudette: Day-To-Day (Lower Body)
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Lightning's Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/28/2025 | Canadiens | W 5-4 | Home |
| 12/31/2025 | Ducks | W 4-3 | Away |
| 1/1/2026 | Kings | W 5-3 | Away |
| 1/3/2026 | Sharks | - | Away |
| 1/6/2026 | Avalanche | - | Home |
| 1/10/2026 | Flyers | - | Away |
| 1/12/2026 | Flyers | - | Away |
Sharks' Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/27/2025 | Canucks | W 6-3 | Away |
| 12/29/2025 | Ducks | W 5-4 | Away |
| 12/31/2025 | Wild | W 4-3 | Home |
| 1/3/2026 | Lightning | - | Home |
| 1/6/2026 | Blue Jackets | - | Home |
| 1/7/2026 | Kings | - | Away |
| 1/10/2026 | Stars | - | Home |