The Los Angeles Kings will continue the defense of their 2012 Stanley Cup with a Western Conference Semifinals series against the San Jose Sharks that will open at Staples Center with Games 1 and 2 on Tuesday and Thursday. Both games will begin at 7:00 pm.
The series will shift back to HP Pavilion in San Jose for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 21. Saturday’s game will start at 6:00 pm, while Tuesday’s game will start at 7:00 pm.
Game 5, if necessary, would be played at 7:30 pm at Staples Center on Thursday, May 23. Game 6 would take place at HP Pavilion on Sunday, May 26. A potential Game 7 would be held at Staples Center on Tuesday, May 28.
Game 1, San Jose at Los Angeles: Tuesday, May 14, 7:00 pm
Game 2, San Jose at Los Angeles: Thursday, May 16, 7:00 pm
Game 3, Los Angeles at San Jose: Saturday, May 18, 6:00 pm
Game 4, Los Angeles at San Jose: Tuesday, May 21, 7:00 pm
Game 5, San Jose at Los Angeles: Thursday, May 23, 7:30 pm*
Game 6, Los Angeles at San Jose: Sunday, May 26, TBD*
Game 7, San Jose at Los Angeles: Tuesday, May 28, TBD*
*if necessary. All times PT.
Games 1-5 will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network. National broadcast information for Games 6 and 7, if necessary, will be determined at a later date. Similar to last year, FOX Sports West will broadcast a postgame show. In Canada, all games will be broadcast on TSN.
Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans will provide the live radio broadcast for all playoff games on KTLK AM 1150 and I Heart Radio.
Tickets for the Western Conference Semifinals, which are expected to sell out quickly, are available via Ticketmaster. Once the games are sold out, fans may also sign up for notifications of released tickets via the team’s site.
The Western Conference Semifinals ends a streak of 16 consecutive Los Angeles playoff series that opened on the road. This is the first time the Kings have earned home ice advantage in the playoffs since 1992, when they fell in six games to the Edmonton Oilers in the Smythe Division Semifinals. The last time L.A. won a playoff series in which it had earned home ice advantage was a six-game series victory over the Vancouver Canucks in the 1991 Smythe Division Semifinals.
The Kings’ first round victory over the Blues represented the first time an NHL team won five consecutive playoff series in which it opened Game 1 on the road.
Los Angeles has won 10 consecutive home games dating back to the regular season. The Kings were 1-2 on the road in their six-game series victory over the Blues.
Click here for the NHL’s full second round schedule.
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