West Coast Road Trip.

Last night was a good journey through left coast hockey.

As an Ontarian, I watch a lot of east coast hockey. There's a certain speed, flair, excitement, big crowds, quirkiness.

The Western Conference in the NHL has a different standard. Overall, it's slightly better despite the league's attempts to gain parity throughout all 30 teams. I would suggest that goaltending is better in the West, as is the quality of defense. I would suggest that there could be less balance on all four forward lines compared to the East, where I think there is better depth overall. However, your defensemen and goal tending tandem is where the Cup is decided and awarded.

Anyway, it was nice to see Chicago win a game last night, because it's a great hockey city that has suffered under some terrible teams for more than a decade. It was nice to see Toews, Kane and Bolland get on the scoresheet, and for the confidence of young Crawford to get the V and help his team stay alive.

They've got momentum, these Blackhawks, and they are heading back to Vancouver with their backs against the wall and a strong desire to take this back to Chicago for game 6. It's been a bittersweet year for the Hawks, who are succumbing to what most Stanley Cup champs experience: the hangover. It's the salary cap era, where teams are built and broken. Most of the great teams that find success are not able to stay together. Detroit is an exception because they have managed to get some players to stay and take a 'home town discount' which is rare in the NHL, and something that Bettman and the powers that be don't like. It's a way of circumventing the cap in a sense, making sure your star players stay for less money, just because they know they will win at some point in the near future.

That's not to say that the Wings haven't drafted well -- they have. They are at the pinnacle of scouting and drafting, and it's done them well over the past few seasons.

So Luongo had a stinker of an evening. Does he come back stronger, more focused? Does he come back with a voice in the back of his head, saying "you've been here before. Now it's at 3-1, and they've got a chance..." Does he panic? He's world class, but he's not good in pressure-cooking situations in the playoffs, as we've seen before.

How about those Kings? I was excited, watching the game last night, because the crowd was loud and was behind this team. Scathing reviews today, after allowing a four goal lead drift away and somehow conspire to lose in overtime. Sounds like Dustin Penner was a useless twat last night, and that's the best I can describe. I've seen a few plays and it appears as if he's not too sure what to do. I think he was at his best on that grind line with Perry and Getzlaf. They brought the best out of him in that playoff run in 2oo7, and I don't think he will ever regain that form.

He's struggled since his move to Edmonton with weight and motivation issues. He had a decent year this year, but moving to a laid-back atmosphere in California where he was once so comfortable has not paid off for the Kings.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say. We could see our first team eliminated tonight, and that's sad in my opinion but...that's hockey.