Adrian Kempe's Hat Trick Lifts Kings to 7-2 Rout of Sharks in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — Adrian Kempe scored three goals for the fifth hat trick of his NHL career, and the Los Angeles Kings rolled past the San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Adrian Kempe hat trick headlined a complete team performance: Artemi Panarin set up four goals, Quinton Byfield scored twice on the power play, and Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves as the Kings won for the fifth time in eight games.

Key Points

• Adrian Kempe scored his fifth NHL hat trick — a breakaway 1:23 into the first period and one-timers at 16:09 of the first and 15:51 of the second — and added an assist.
• Artemi Panarin had four assists, Quinton Byfield scored two of the Kings' three power-play goals, and Erik Haula added a goal and an assist.
• Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves for Los Angeles, 5-3-0 in its past eight games after an 0-4-2 start.
• Macklin Celebrini ended a six-game goalless drought with a power-play goal for San Jose; Ivar Stenberg also scored with the man advantage.
• Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves for the Sharks, who have lost five of six and are 1-5-0 in that stretch.

What Happened

Kempe wasted no time stamping his name on the game. Just 1:23 into the first period, he broke in alone and beat the San Jose goaltender to give Los Angeles the early lead, and the Kings never looked back. The Swedish winger added a second goal on a one-timer at 16:09 of the opening period, then completed the hat trick with another one-timer at 15:51 of the second. Three goals and an assist for a four-point night. He had plenty of help: Panarin collected four assists, Byfield scored two of the Kings' three power-play goals, Haula chipped in with a goal and an assist, and Kuemper's 30 saves kept the Sharks from ever mounting a serious rally.

San Jose did find the net twice. Celebrini, the young centre and the face of the Sharks' rebuild, ended a six-game goalless drought with a power-play goal, and Stenberg also scored with the man advantage. Dmitry Orlov and Michael Misa each recorded two assists for the visitors. But Askarov, facing a relentless Los Angeles attack, could stop only 20 of the 27 shots that reached him, and the Sharks' two goals were never enough to change the shape of the night.

Background: A Kings Team Finding Its Footing

The result matters for Los Angeles because of where this season started. The Kings opened the campaign 0-4-2, winless through six games, and the early weeks raised real questions about whether a veteran core could still contend in a deep Western Conference. The answer over the past eight games has been emphatic: five wins, three losses, no overtime defeats, and a team that suddenly looks like the one its supporters expected to see in October. For San Jose, the picture is the mirror image: five losses in six games, a rebuild around Celebrini that remains the long-term plan, and a young roster still learning how to survive against opponents playing at full throttle.

Adrian Kempe Hat Trick: The Fifth of His Career

Hat tricks are rare enough in the NHL that each one carries its own story, and Kempe's fifth was a showcase of everything that makes him dangerous. The first goal was pure speed and nerve: a breakaway finished less than 90 seconds after the opening faceoff, the kind of goal that lifts a building and forces the opposition to chase the game from the start. The second and third were about shooting — both one-timers, both released so quickly that Askarov had no chance. The hat trick also underlined Kempe's value beyond the scoresheet: a four-point night on a line that drove play all evening. When a team's best players produce like that — Kempe with four points, Panarin with four assists, Byfield with two power-play goals — the result usually follows, and on Wednesday it did emphatically. Our earlier coverage of another record-breaking night: Connor McDavid breaks Wayne Gretzky's record as fastest to 30 assists in NHL history.

Reactions

The wire reports from the game carried no postgame quotes from either dressing room by publication time, so there were no on-the-record reactions to draw on for this report — the numbers told the story instead. What the numbers say is that Los Angeles got a complete team performance on a night when its stars delivered, and that San Jose's young core, led by Celebrini, is still learning how to survive against opponents playing at full throttle.

Why It Matters

First, the win keeps the Kings' recovery on track. A 5-3-0 run after an 0-4-2 start does not erase the early damage, but it does change the conversation around the team — from crisis to contention — and it gives Los Angeles a foundation to build on as the season moves into its second month. Second, the performance showed the Kings' depth: Kempe's hat trick took the headlines, but Panarin's four assists, Byfield's two power-play goals, Haula's two points and Kuemper's 30 saves all mattered. Third, the game highlighted the gap between a team finding its form and one still building. Another NHL story this week: Kucherov says Lightning trade request is about respect, not money.

What Happens Next

The Kings will look to carry the momentum into their next game, and the challenge now is consistency: turning a strong eight-game stretch into a sustained run that lifts them up the standings. For San Jose, the task is different: stop the slide — five losses in six games — and defend better against top lines. Celebrini ending his drought is a positive, and the power play produced twice on Wednesday, but the team will need more from its goaltending and its penalty kill to compete on nights like this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many goals did Adrian Kempe score against the Sharks?

Three — his fifth career NHL hat trick. He scored on a breakaway 1:23 into the first period, then added one-timers at 16:09 of the first and 15:51 of the second, and also recorded an assist.

What was the final score of Kings vs Sharks?

The Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Who else starred for the Kings?

Artemi Panarin had four assists, Quinton Byfield scored two power-play goals, Erik Haula had a goal and an assist, and Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves.

Did Macklin Celebrini score for San Jose?

Yes. Celebrini ended a six-game goalless drought with a power-play goal, and Ivar Stenberg also scored on the power play for the Sharks.

How have the Kings played since their slow start?

Los Angeles is 5-3-0 in its past eight games after opening the season 0-4-2. The Sharks, by contrast, have lost five of their past six and are 1-5-0 in that stretch.