Dirtiest NHL Team this season?

[pbhockey4 0]

Who do you guys think is the most dirtiest team in the NHL?

[althoma1 574]

Philly has the most PIM, but I'd say Boston is the dirtiest team. They're second in PIM, but they're been more dirty plays involving Boston in the past year than most other teams. Marchand clipping incidents, Lucic running Miller, and both Lucic and Horton looking for fights late in games when things are out of hand. Ferrence giving the finger to fans in Montreal after taking out Halpern didn't help things either.

[Chadd 916]

Philly has the most PIM, but I'd say Boston is the dirtiest team. They're second in PIM, but they're been more dirty plays involving Boston in the past year than most other teams. Marchand clipping incidents, Lucic running Miller, and both Lucic and Horton looking for fights late in games when things are out of hand. Ferrence giving the finger to fans in Montreal after taking out Halpern didn't help things either.

The Pens also have a pretty healthy number of players that take runs at guys or hit high and late.

[perh4ps 1]

Boston for sure. These guys want to hit big but when they get hit clean, they take a run after the guy. Chara and lucic always go nuts when that happens.

[Gr8erade 1]

In my mind, to be dirty means to play outside the rules and not get caught doing it. Watching the Pens/Bruins game the other day, the Pens got away with more. That Malkin hit on Boychuk was more than a 2 minute boarding call. I honestly feel that if any Bruin hit Malkin like that, it would have been. And there would have been supplemental discipline. For all the whining about how dirty the Bruins are, they sure seem to have a lot of guys out with concussions and injuries from unpenalized hits.

I don't find scrums or big hits dirty. I find blind side hits dirty. I find head shots dirty. I find certain stickwork dirty. And I find skating away pretending you didn't do anything dirty.

I'd say the Penguins and the Canucks play like that on a pretty consistent basis. Watch games closely and what goes on behind the play, or in corners and these two teams in particular seem, in my mind, to get away with a lot.

[hockeymass 11]

The Bruins haven't gotten away with jack this year. They are quick to drop the gloves, that doesn't make them dirty. Aside from the Marchand clip on Salo, which REALLY wasn't that dirty (come on now),

Lol at "Horton looking for fights". All two of them? Plus he's out for what could be the rest of the season from a cheapshot from that plug Sestito.

And if you really think Ference "took out Halpern" (by using Jedi mind tricks to make Halpern skate into his shoulder, I guess?) then I'm just not sure what to say to you.

[Law Goalie 147]

You're right on most of that, but dead wrong on the Ference/Halpern hit: that was an assassination.

[hockeymass 11]

You're right on most of that, but dead wrong on the Ference/Halpern hit: that was an assassination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffiQUe1tfqM

Ference barely moved. Halpern literally skated right into him.

[DBear 0]

Not sure that team PIM is the best indicator of dirty play. I think that some teams really do get a benefit of the doubt from the refs.

Take a look at some of the hits that Niklas Kronwall has laid down this season. If hes on a team other than the Red Wings

I'm betting some of these get rung up.

[hockeymass 11]

Not sure that team PIM is the best indicator of dirty play. I think that some teams really do get a benefit of the doubt from the refs.

Take a look at some of the hits that Niklas Kronwall has laid down this season. If hes on a team other than the Red Wings

I'm betting some of these get rung up.

I agree with you, but I think you just opened a can of worms.

[althoma1 574]

The Bruins haven't gotten away with jack this year. They are quick to drop the gloves, that doesn't make them dirty. Aside from the Marchand clip on Salo, which REALLY wasn't that dirty (come on now),

Lol at "Horton looking for fights". All two of them? Plus he's out for what could be the rest of the season from a cheapshot from that plug Sestito.

And if you really think Ference "took out Halpern" (by using Jedi mind tricks to make Halpern skate into his shoulder, I guess?) then I'm just not sure what to say to you.

I agree that the Bruins haven't gotten away with much this year. Perhaps that's because Shanny is giving out suspensions instead of Colin Campbell this year...they've deserved harsher punishment for several years now.

OK, Horton doesn't get into a tonne of fights and has been injured for a good part of the year, but from the Bruins games I've watched it does seem like both he and especially Lucic are trying to go after smaller players not known for fighting. Lucic definitely also ran over Miller and got away with one there.

Marchand is constantly going for low hits.

Now, Horton, Lucic and Marchand are all talented players, but they can all be dirty/mean players at times as well. They aren't the only players in the league like this - Subban, Downie, Hartnell, Pronger (when he was healthy) and a few others come to mind. Boston just has more of those types than most.

Ferrence didn't run Halpern, but he saw him coming with his head down and took the opportunity to shift his body weight and catch him with his shoulder.

[hockeymass 11]

I agree that the Bruins haven't gotten away with much this year. Perhaps that's because Shanny is giving out suspensions instead of Colin Campbell this year...they've deserved harsher punishment for several years now.

OK, Horton doesn't get into a tonne of fights and has been injured for a good part of the year, but from the Bruins games I've watched it does seem like both he and especially Lucic are trying to go after smaller players not known for fighting. Lucic definitely also ran over Miller and got away with one there.

Marchand is constantly going for low hits.

Now, Horton, Lucic and Marchand are all talented players, but they can all be dirty/mean players at times as well. They aren't the only players in the league like this - Subban, Downie, Hartnell, Pronger (when he was healthy) and a few others come to mind. Boston just has more of those types than most.

Ferrence didn't run Halpern, but he saw him coming with his head down and took the opportunity to shift his body weight and catch him with his shoulder.

The Colin Campbell thing is so played out now, I mean seriously.

Lucic doesn't "go after" smaller guys. Of the 5 fights this season, only two have been against smaller players (Kaleta and Prust). If anything, Kaleta went after Lucic (God knows why) and the Prust fight was mutual (although a severe lapse in judgement by Prust). Carkner, Sestito, and Gaustad are all a match for Lucic in size. He did get away with one in running Miller.

I agree that Marchand's low hits are dangerous, but they're just as dangerous when Hamhuis or Ballard throw them.

As for Ference on Halpern, show me the hockey player that doesn't shift his weight when someone is skating at him.

They play a nasty style of hockey that is, for the most part, within the rules. They're certainly not out there tossing headshots or cheap shots from behind. I really disagree with the comparison to Subban, because Subban is a diver and is quick to turtle up after throwing a blatant cheap shot.

[pbhockey4 0]

@althoma1 Subbans hits arent dirty their just good hits.

[althoma1 574]

They play a nasty style of hockey that is, for the most part, within the rules. They're certainly not out there tossing headshots or cheap shots from behind. I really disagree with the comparison to Subban, because Subban is a diver and is quick to turtle up after throwing a blatant cheap shot.

I think there is more than a little team bias on both sides here. Even as a Canadiens fan I'll agree that Subban does cheap things like slew footing and he also runs his mouth, but very rarely fights (I only remember one), however; Marchand hits low, runs his mouth and doesn't often fight either. Marchand and Subban are similar in that respect.

@althoma1 Subbans hits arent dirty their just good hits.

Subban does have some great clean shoulder and hip checks, however; the slew footing he's getting known for is definitely dirty.

[hockeymass 11]

@althoma1 Subbans hits arent dirty their just good hits.

Yeah, phenomenal hit, bro.

I think there more than a little team bias on both sides here. Even as a Canadiens fan I'll agree that Subban does cheap things like slew footing and he also runs his mouth, but very rarely fights (I only remember one), however; Marchand hits low, runs his mouth and doesn't often fight either. Marchand and Subban are similar in that respect.

Subban does have some great clean shoulder and hip checks, however; the slew footing he's getting known for is definitely dirty.

I won't disagree, and if you want to categorize Marchand as dirty, I'll acknowledge that my aversion to that characterization is biased. My point is that by and large, the Bruins are not a dirty team. They're just not a team that will turn the other cheek like Buffalo or Vancouver.

[DBear 0]

If Suban was playing in Phoenix or some other small market team and lays that hit down its a major.

Instead he get a 2 min minor? Nice turtle after laying down the cheap shot also.

[roadrunner 12]

Bruins by far. Got away with alot during the playoffs last year and it's continuing quite uninterrupted.

[Gr8erade 1]

Bruins by far. Got away with alot during the playoffs last year and it's continuing quite uninterrupted.

Interesting that you think that. Boston has had 220 powerplays this season. And have been shorthanded 222 times. Seems a whole lot more even than you thought, doesn't it?

[hockeymass 11]

Bruins by far. Got away with alot during the playoffs last year and it's continuing quite uninterrupted.

Like what? Explain how the Bruins "got away with a lot" and how it's "continuing uninterrupted".

[troy 12]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffiQUe1tfqM

Ference barely moved. Halpern literally skated right into him.

Start watching at :46, and consider where the puck is. Is the "mass" in your name short for Massachusetts?????

[hockeymass 11]

Start watching at :46, and consider where the puck is. Is the "mass" in your name short for Massachusetts?????

It's irrelevant where the puck is. Ference is not skating towards Halpern. Ference is skating forward and Halpern skates directly at him.

[ryanhockey21 0]

This kinda seem like an agrument between Bruins and Canadiens fans.

[hockeymass 11]

This kinda seem like an agrument between Bruins and Canadiens fans.

It's one of those ill conceived threads that can go nowhere except petty arguments and unsubstantiated mudslinging.

[troy 12]

When the puck is fifty feet away and a player stops, and leans his elbow into someone's head (who had no intentions of making contact), I think that's a little suspicious. I hope you're just jestfully trolling.

[hockeymass 11]

When the puck is fifty feet away and a player stops, and leans his elbow into someone's head (who had no intentions of making contact), I think that's a little suspicious. I hope you're just jestfully trolling.

I'm not trolling. Again, Halpern literally SKATES INTO FERENCE.