If you’re scrambling to find out what time is the tampa bay lightning game on tonight, you might actually be in for a surprise. It’s not a night game. Usually, we're used to that 7:00 PM puck drop at Amalie Arena or somewhere out on the road, but today—Sunday, January 18, 2026—is a different story entirely. The Bolts are wrapping up their road trip with a rare afternoon showdown against the Dallas Stars.
Puck drop is scheduled for 2:00 PM ET.
Honestly, these matinees can be a bit of a trap. For the players, it’s a total shift in the routine. No morning skate, a different pre-game meal time, and basically a "wake up and go" mentality. For us fans, it means you better have the snacks ready by lunch. If you're looking for it on TV, you'll need to head over to NHL Network or catch it locally on The Spot (Tampa Bay 66).
Breaking Down the Lightning vs. Stars Matchup
This isn't just some mid-season filler game. We are looking at two of the heavyweights in the league right now. The Lightning are sitting at 29-13-4, which is good for first in the Eastern Conference. Dallas isn't far behind at 27-12-9. When these two teams meet, it’s usually high-octane. Remember that overtime thriller back in October? Tampa took that one 2-1, but Dallas has been a juggernaut at the American Airlines Center lately.
💡 You might also like: Current Score of the Steelers Game: Why the 30-6 Texans Blowout Changed Everything
Jake Oettinger is expected to be in net for the Stars, and he’s been a wall. On the other side, Andrei Vasilevskiy continues to be, well, Vasilevskiy. He has a career 16-4-3 record against Dallas with six shutouts. That is a wild stat. Most goalies dream of having one shutout against a top-tier team, and he has half a dozen against this specific roster.
Where to Watch and Stream the Game
Since this is a Sunday afternoon game, the broadcast map is a little funky. It’s a national broadcast on NHL Network, but if you’re in the Tampa market, you have specific local options.
- Local TV: The Spot (Tampa Bay 66)
- National TV: NHL Network
- Streaming: Fubo (great if you’re cutting the cord), or the Lightning Official App (which now has a $66/season subscription model for local fans).
- Radio: 102.5 MHz-FM or Lightning Radio 24/7.
If you are out of market, ESPN+ usually carries most games, but because this one is on NHL Network, there are some regional blackouts to navigate. It’s always a headache, right? Basically, if you have a cable log-in or a solid streaming service like Fubo or Sling (specifically the Sports Extra add-on), you’re golden.
📖 Related: Last Match Man City: Why Newcastle Couldn't Stop the Semenyo Surge
Why This Afternoon Start Matters
What time is the tampa bay lightning game on tonight is a question that assumes a night game, but the 2:00 PM start is actually a tactical hurdle. The Bolts are coming off a grueling road trip through Philly, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Fatigue is a real factor. Coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Blues on Friday, the team stayed over in St. Louis before heading to Texas.
Nikita Kucherov is currently on a Hart-level pace again. It’s almost boring how good he is, except it’s never boring to watch him thread a pass through three sets of skates. He’s got 69 points on the season already.
The lines have been shifting a bit too. With Jake Guentzel playing alongside Nick Paul and Kucherov, the top line has a different look than we saw early in the season. Keep an eye on the defensive pairings as well. Darren Raddysh has been a sneaky MVP for the Bolts' blue line lately, racking up assists and blocking shots like his life depends on it.
👉 See also: Cowboys Score: Why Dallas Just Can't Finish the Job When it Matters
Key Storylines to Follow
- The Vasilevskiy Factor: Can he keep up that insane dominance over Dallas?
- Special Teams: Dallas has the 2nd best power play in the league ($28.78%$). Tampa’s penalty kill is 4th ($83.89%$). Something has to give.
- Road Fatigue: This is the final game of a five-game road trip. Usually, teams just want to get through this and get back to Tampa.
Dallas is a fast team. They don't give you much room in the neutral zone. If the Lightning start slow—which happens in these early games—they might find themselves down a couple of goals before the first intermission.
Looking Ahead: The Next Few Games
Once the final horn sounds in Dallas, the Lightning finally get to head home. They’ll have a day to recover before facing the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday at Amalie Arena (now renamed Benchmark International Arena for those keeping track). That game returns to the standard 7:00 PM ET start time.
After that, it's back on the road for a quick trip to Chicago and Columbus. The schedule is relentless this time of year, especially with the Olympic break coming up in February for the Milan-Cortina games. Every point matters right now for playoff seeding.
So, to recap the big question: what time is the tampa bay lightning game on tonight? It isn't tonight—it's this afternoon at 2:00 PM ET. Tune in early, watch Kucherov do something magical, and hope the Bolts can close out this road trip with a win.
Practical Tips for Fans
- Check your local listings: If you use an antenna, make sure channel 66 is coming in clear.
- Update the App: If you’re streaming via the Lightning app, ensure it’s updated to avoid those mid-game crashes.
- Food Prep: Since it’s a 2 PM start, it’s a perfect excuse for a "hockey brunch" or early wings.
- Watch the Standings: A win today puts the Lightning further ahead of Detroit and Montreal in the Atlantic Division race.