It’s that time again. For the seventh time in the last nine years, the Los Angeles Kings are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the new playoff system largely ensuring intradivision matchups, it’s unusual that any team gets to play a team it’s never faced in the playoffs before. Then again, the Vegas Golden Knights have never faced anyone in the playoffs before. It should be fun, and even if you’re stressed out or angry or sad during this run, just remember: it’s way better than missing out.
The NHL has announced start times and TV information for most of the first round, with later games largely dependent on when other series end. For Vegas and LA, it’s pretty simple so far: tune in to NBCSN (or CBC/TVA in Canada) every other night.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings – First Round
| GAME | DATE | TIME | AWAY | HOME | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wednesday, April 11 | 10:00 PM | LOS ANGELES KINGS | Vegas Golden Knights | Fox Sports West (local), NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 2 | Friday, April 13 | 10:00 PM | LOS ANGELES KINGS | Vegas Golden Knights | Prime Ticket (local), NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 3 | Sunday, April 15 | 10:30 PM | Vegas Golden Knights | LOS ANGELES KINGS | Fox Sports West (local), NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 4 | Tuesday, April 17 | 10:30 PM | Vegas Golden Knights | LOS ANGELES KINGS | Prime Ticket (local), NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 5 (if necessary) | Thursday, April 19 | 10:00 PM | LOS ANGELES KINGS | Vegas Golden Knights | Prime Ticket (local), NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 6 (if necessary) | Saturday, April 21 | TBD | Vegas Golden Knights | LOS ANGELES KINGS | Prime Ticket (local), national coverage TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Monday, April 23 | TBD | LOS ANGELES KINGS | Vegas Golden Knights | Prime Ticket (local), national coverage TBD |
The rest of the schedule is here and it’s a bit odd for several teams, especially the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. Game 4 of that series is on the Golf Channel. The Golf Channel! So the Kings and Golden Knights dodged a bullet there. They’ll be the third game on day one of the playoffs, and their potential Game 7 (on April 23) would be the earliest of any playoff series.
[UPDATE, 3:15 PM PACIFIC] Additional information relating to broadcasters and local coverage has been released. Games 1 and 3 of this series will air locally on Fox Sports West for fans in the Los Angeles market, while all other games (including potential Games 5-7) will air on Prime Ticket. Alex Faust and Jim Fox will be on the call.
Additionally, we now know that Chris Cuthbert and Ray Ferraro will be on the call at the national level. Both have an LA connection; Cuthbert was one of four broadcasters to fill in for Bob Miller in the Kings booth during 2016-17, while Ferraro played a little over three years in Los Angeles in the late ‘90s. They’re two of the best in the business.
Looking forward to playoffs with @NBCSN … 1st round I’ll be with @CCtsn for #Vegas #Kings … should be wild for Game 1 Wednesday
— Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn) April 9, 2018