It is considered a fact of NHL life that legs will be heavy when a team returns from the road, and that legs will be even heavier when a West Coast trip was part of the itinerary.
The Blue Jackets did nothing to dispel this notion last night, when they were beaten by the last-place Los Angeles Kings and their butcher of a goaltender, Dan Cloutier.
The Jackets lost 3-2 in a shootout and, as soon as the game was over, more than a few members of the home team noted that they spent Saturday flying cross country from San Jose, where they had lost in overtime Friday night. The owner supplies a luxury airliner, but, you know, all those time zones, and the card games, are very taxing. Even coach Ken Hitchcock peddled the excuse.
Jackets' jet lag excuse doesn't fly (Columbus Dispatch) 
