Playoff Tickets Will Go on Sale Monday

Individual tickets for the Kings’ first-round playoff series will go on sale Monday at 8 a.m. at Staples Center’s box office. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and no lines will be allowed before 7 a.m.

Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster starting at 10 a.m. Monday, via the Ticketmaster Web site www.ticketmaster.com or at (213) 480-3232. Also, anyone willing to place a $50 deposit on season tickets for next season can pre-purchase playoff tickets on today or Sunday by calling (888) KINGS-LA. Prices for this round will be $110, $108.50, $87, $65, $55.50, $35 and $28.50, about a 16% increase over regular-season prices.

That’s the simple part.

Who the Kings will play will be determined tonight by the outcome of their game at Calgary and Edmonton’s game at Vancouver. The Kings rank seventh in the West but can climb to sixth if they win and Edmonton loses in regulation because they would edge Edmonton in points, 92-91. They would remain seventh if they win and Edmonton wins, ties, or loses in overtime. They can also fall to eighth if they lose and Vancouver gets a point against Edmonton, because Vancouver would have a 91-90 edge. If teams are tied, the first tiebreaker is wins, followed by head-to-head record. The Kings won the season series from Vancouver but lost their season series to the Oilers.

The No. 1 seed plays the eighth seed, No. 2 plays No. 7, No. 3 plays No. 6, and No. 4 faces No. 5.

When the Kings play hinges on who they play.

There are two tentative scenarios if the Kings play second-seeded Detroit or third-seeded Dallas. In one, they will play Games 1 and 2 on the road Wednesday and Thursday and play Games 3 and 4 Saturday and Sunday at Staples Center. If necessary, Game 5 would be April 18 on the road, Game 6 would be April 21 at home, and Game 7 would be April 23 on the road.

The other scenario has them playing Games 1 and 2 on the road Wednesday and Thursday, playing Game 3 at home Saturday, playing Game 4 away April 16, and if necessary, playing Games 5 and 6 at home April 18 and 21, and Game 7 away on April 23.

If the Kings were to play No. 1 seed Colorado, building conflicts would produce an unusual schedule. Game 1 would be Thursday at Colorado and Game 2 would be Saturday at Staples Center. Game 3 would be April 16 at Denver and Game 4 would be April 18 at Staples Center. The Avalanche would host Games 5 and 6, if necessary, April 21-22, and Game 7 would be April 24 at Staples Center.

TONIGHT

at Calgary, 6 PDT

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Pengrowth Saddledome.

* Radio--KSPN (1110).

* Records--Kings 37-28-13-3, Flames 27-35-15-4.

* Record vs. Flames--2-1.

* Update--The point the Kings earned in their 3-2 overtime loss at Vancouver Thursday clinched a playoff berth and set a club record. Their 90 points, following last season’s 94, gives them back-to-back 90-point seasons for the first time in their 34-season history. The rule change awarding points for overtime losses has helped, but so has a 12-2-5-2 surge that began Feb. 22 at Calgary. Center Bryan Smolinski (back spasms) went to Los Angeles for treatment and won’t play tonight. Center Ian Laperriere (concussion) and defenseman Aaron Miller (sprained wrist) practiced Friday but won’t play. The Flames’ leading scorer, Jarome Iginla (31 goals, 71 points), is out because of a broken hand.