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Dustin Penner likes the Phoenix-LA series because it gets him off the Ambien

Dustin Penner 3

Much has been made of the minimal travel Phoenix and Los Angeles will undergo in the Western Conference finals.

With just an hour-long flight separating the two cities, both the Kings and Coyotes players seem pleased avoiding situations like the 2010 final (Chicago vs. San Jose, 1835 miles apart) and 2007 (Anaheim vs. Detroit, 1968 miles apart.)

One player that’s really pleased? Kings forward Dustin Penner.

“It’s a nice change to stay close to home,” Penner told the LA Times. “You don’t have to take Ambien to get down. You can enjoy a natural sleep.”

(Tiger Woods says: “You should take it anyway!”)

Penner was part of that 2007 Ducks team that made two cross-country flights to the Motor City. As such, he’s gained a newfound appreciation for short travel and developed a bit of jealousy towards Eastern Conference teams.

“I don’t think the East teams know how lucky they are sometimes, staying in their own time zone,” Penner said. “One-hour flights are usually the max. They can even go by train.”

Or in the case of the Devils and Rangers, ferry.