Schedule and 2011-12 Results
Regular Season Records: Phoenix 42-27-13=97pts, Los Angeles Kings 40-27-15=95pts
Game 1 on Sunday, 13 May: Los Angeles Kings win at Phoenix, 4-goals-2
Game 2 on Tuesday, 15 May: Los Angeles Kings win at Phoenix, 4-goals-nil
Game 3 on Thursday, 17 May: Phoenix loses at Los Angeles Kings, 2-goals-1
Game 4 on Sunday, 20 May: Phoenix wins at Los Angeles Kings, 2-goals-nil
Game 5 on Tuesday, 22 May: Los Angeles Kings win at Phoenix, 4-goals-3 (OT)

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: Improving their 2012 NHL playoffs road game record to 8-0, the Los Angeles Kings visited and defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 4-goals-3 on a goal 17:42 into the first overtime period. Los Angeles thus completes a 4-games-1 victory in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1168, and advances to series 1169, the 2012 NHL Finals. The series 1168 victory improves the Los Angeles best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 11-19 overall and 2-1 in the NHL Semifinals round. With the series 1168 loss, the Phoenix Coyotes see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 2-8 overall and 0-1 in the NHL Semifinals round. The victorious Los Angeles Kings posted a win order of WWWLW in series 1168: Series 1168 thus becomes the 14th NHL Semifinals series, the 46th NHL series (all rounds), and the 80th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The Los Angeles Kings have become only the second team (since the NHL adopted the best-of-7 format for its Preliminary round in 1987) to go undefeated on the road in its first three rounds of an NHL playoff season – the Edmonton Oilers were 6-0 on the road after the first three rounds of the 1987 NHL playoffs season. The eight road wins by Los Angeles in the first three rounds tie the 1995 New Jersey Devils, 1999 Colorado Avalanche, and 2004 Calgary Flames for the most road wins in the first three rounds of an NHL playoff season since 1987.

After Game 4: Staving off elimination, the visiting Phoenix Coyotes shut out the Los Angeles Kings 2-goals-nil to reduce the Los Angeles lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1168 to 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Los Angeles Kings have a best-of-7 NHL playoff series record of 2-0 and a Game 5 record of 1-1. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Phoenix Coyotes have a best-of-7 NHL playoff series record of 0-2 and a Game 5 record of 0-2. Series 1168 thus becomes the seventh best-of-7 NHL playoff series in which a team trailing 3-games-nil shut out the series-leading team in Game 4; on the six previous occasions, the team notching the shutout had a 1-5 Game 5 record.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1168 in southern California for Games 3-4, the Los Angeles Kings hosted and defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 2-goals-1 for a 3-games-nil series 1168 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Los Angeles Kings have a series record of 2-0 and a Game 4 record of 1-1. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Phoenix Coyotes have a 0-2 series record and a 1-1 Game 4 record. The Los Angeles Kings now have an 11-1 game record in the 2012 NHL playoffs, matching the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins and 1995 Detroit Red Wings for the best start to an NHL playoff season since the NHL Preliminary round went to a best-of-7 format in 1987. The Kings also seek to become the 300th MLB/NBA/NHL team to win a best-of-7 playoff series after leading it 3-games-nil.

After Game 2: Continuing their road-winning streak in the 2012 NHL playoffs, the Los Angeles Kings visited and defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 4-goals-nil to take a 2-games-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1168. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Los Angeles Kings have a series record of 2-1 and a Game 3 record of 2-1. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Phoenix Coyotes have a 0-3 series record and a 1-2 Game 3 record. Since 1987, when the NHL adopted the best-of-7 format for its Preliminary round, only four other teams were undefeated on the road through Game 1 of their NHL Semifinals series: Edmonton Oilers, 1987; Pittsburgh Penguins, 1996; Colorado Avalanche, 1999; Tampa Bay Lightning, 2004. The Colorado Avalanche lost Game 2 of their 1999 NHL Semifinals series on the road, so the 2012 Kings have now surpassed the 1999 Avalanche in that regard. The Los Angeles Kings now have a 10-1 game record in the 2012 NHL playoffs and with a Game 3 win can match the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins and 1995 Detroit Red Wings (11-1) for the best start to an NHL playoff season since the NHL Preliminary round went to a best-of-7 format in 1987.

After Game 1: Still unbeaten on the road in the 2012 NHL playoffs, the Los Angeles Kings visited and defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 4-goals-2 to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1168. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Los Angeles Kings have a series record of 5-5 and a Game 2 record of 3-7. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Phoenix Coyotes have a 0-6 series record and a 3-3 Game 2 record. Since 1987, when the NHL adopted the best-of-7 format for its Preliminary round, only four other teams were undefeated on the road through Game 1 of their NHL Semifinals series: Edmonton Oilers, 1987; Pittsburgh Penguins, 1996; Colorado Avalanche, 1999; Tampa Bay Lightning, 2004.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2011-12 NHL regular season, Phoenix finished two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. From 1939 through the 2012 NHL Quarterfinals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by two regular-season points, they have posted a 14-12 (.538) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1168 is the 30th best-of-7 playoff series for the Los Angeles Kings, and the tenth for the Phoenix Coyotes. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Los Angeles Kings have a 10-19 series record, a 1-1 Semifinals-round series record, and a 10-19 Game 1 record, while the Phoenix Coyotes have a 2-7 series record, a 0-0 Semifinals-round series record, and a 3-6 Game 1 record. Series 1168 is the first best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Los Angeles Kings and the Phoenix Coyotes.