2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Los Angeles Kings win their first Stanley Cup as an eighth seed.
The 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2011–12 season. It began on April 11, 2012, after the conclusion of the regular season, and ended on June 11, with the Los Angeles Kings defeating the New Jersey Devils in six games in the Stanley Cup Final to win their first Stanley Cup championship.
Quick Facts
- Head coach
- Darryl Sutter
- Season context
- Full 82-game 2011–12 NHL season
Lore & Background
The Kings became the first eighth-seeded team to win the Stanley Cup in NHL history. They also became the first team in NHL history to have a 3-0 lead in all four playoff rounds. Their postseason began with an elimination of the Vancouver Canucks, who became the third Presidents' Trophy-winning team in the last four seasons to be eliminated in the opening round. Los Angeles went on to become the second team to eliminate the first, second, and third seeds from the playoffs in the same postseason after the 2003–04 Calgary Flames. In addition, the Kings became the first team to make the Finals undefeated on the road (with their 10–0 road record). Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, having recorded a 1.41 goals against average, was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoffs' most valuable player.
Reader's Guide
The Kings were the eighth seed in the Western Conference with 95 points. They defeated the Vancouver Canucks (first seed), St. Louis Blues (second seed), Phoenix Coyotes (third seed), and New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final.
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