from Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch,

(John) Forslund is one of NBC’s play-by-play announcers during the NHL playoffs. He was dispatched to southern California on April 29, and he is still there. His is an interesting perch. After an entire (half) season of calling Eastern Conference games as the voice of the Carolina Hurricanes, he is getting an in-your-face view of the West.

“There is a level of playoff hockey being played in the West that is different from the East,” Forslund said. “I’ve been saying that for years, but this year it is more pronounced. That first-round series, St. Louis against LA — it started as soon as the puck dropped. Seeing it live is something else — but it comes across on TV, too, and if you can see it on TV you know it’s unbelievable.”

Forslund has done four Ducks-Red Wings games, two Sharks-Canucks games, three Blues-Kings games and five Sharks-Kings games — 14 in 20 days, live and in color. He has seen the West at its best.

“It’s ferocious hockey,” Forslund said. “There is more structure, more balance and there is depth throughout the lineups. The West has morphed into a bigger, stronger and, at many times, faster conference. These teams have all evolved as they’ve tried to keep up with one another.”

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