How does hockey played in the Western conference differ from hockey played in the Eastern conference?

Variant7: How does hockey played in the Western conference differ from hockey played in the Eastern conference?
After the Leafs mega trades this past week, I read an article in which Hagman said something like the way hockey is played in the Western conference is different than hockey played in the Eastern conference, and that he was excited to be going back to the Western conference.

What did he mean by this? How does hockey differ in the Western conference from the Eastern conference?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Cravin Moorehead
Hockey in the Eastern Conference is more offensive and skill oriented, While in the West it is more defensive and playing tough. For this reason the East has some of the higher scoring players and the West has the overall better teams.

Answer by Howe # 9, Wings and Habs rule!
I think east is more physical and the west is more free wheeling.

Answer by Like I’m Telling You Who I A
The west is more offensive minded (freewheeling is a great word used previously), while the East is more ‘grittier’

The number of shots/game in the West is 3.8 more than the East
The PIMs in the East is greater than the West

The West also tends to have a better transition game than the East with a lot less time/gfame spent in the neutral zone for Western conference teams

Answer by PensFan
I feel that more teams on the West focus on physical play, examples, the Wings, the Ducks, the Stars just to mention a few. The East focuses more on offense and play making and benefits from players like Crosby and Ovechkin

Answer by Let’s Go Caps: 11 in a row
I agree with Howe and LITY, though the Washington Capitals are one notable exception. I feel like there is more system play in the East, with control of the neutral zone being very important. In the West you see a more offensive style of hockey, with the puck moving up and down the ice more. I quote Bob:

“…the Western Conference has customarily been a more free wheeling and open ice and fast conference while the East has as a rule for the most part been a big defensive, clutch and grab, etc conference…I remember when Theoren Fleury first came to the Eastern Conference to play for the NY Rangers and he was asked the difference between playing in the East vs. The West. His answer was that there was just no room to skate….he equated it to ‘skating through velcro.’ ”

The difference in style of play is not only perception; the players feel it as well: (Paul Martin, Scott Gomez, Paul Stastny, and Mike Komisarek).

Answer by CHRIS
i think the east is more skill based, faster, smaller, where as the west is bigger, tougher

Answer by John
Wish my Boston Bruins were in the eastern mix of highly offensive teams : (

Answer by keegs2011
all i know is the hawks rock