Kings to open playoffs Wednesday at Vancouver

The Kings will open the Stanley Cup playoffs with games Wednesday and Friday at Vancouver and will play host to the Canucks at Staples Center on April 15 and 18, the NHL announced Sunday.

Should the best-of-seven series go to a fifth game at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, there would be three days between Games 4 and 5. That is probably because of other events in both buildings, highlighting the difficulty of finding open dates in arenas like Staples Center that are in near-constant use.

Three playoff series will start Wednesday, four will start Thursday and one — Florida vs. New Jersey — will open Friday.

The Vancouver Canucks are the No. 1-seeded team in the West and the NHL’s top-seeded team. The Kings fell to No. 8 in the West after losing their season finale Saturday.

The schedule for the Kings vs. Canucks:

Game 1: Wednesday at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m. Pacific time
Game 2: Friday at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday at Staples Center, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Wednesday, April 18 at Staples Center, 7 p.m.
Game 5: Sunday, April 22 at Vancouver, TBD*
Game 6: Tuesday, April 24, at Staples Center, TBD*
Game 7: Thursday, April 26, at Vancouver, TBD*

Here’s a link to the full schedule.

*If necessary

MORE:

Loss to Sharks leaves Kings eighth in the West

NHL says Ryane Clowe‘s play was missed infraction

Helene Elliott: No win, but the Kings are in the playoffs

Kings to open playoffs Wednesday at Vancouver