2011-12 Broad Street Bullies Award: Best Enforcing Team

[Merlin401]

Here we looked for tough teams that carried one or more heavyweights to supplement team toughness.

Nominees

New York Rangers - 68 fights
The Rangers returned to glory in more ways than one, winning their division and leading the NHL in fights, once again showing that winning and fighting often go hand-in-hand. Importantly, the team stepped up to every challenge, be it heavyweights, the fight-filled roster of the scrappy Flyers, or the intimidation of the hated Devils. When the Devils provoked the Rangers by starting tough guys on the opening draw, the Rangers were more than happy to oblige, leading to 6 fights off the opening draw on the season series, including a memorable brawl. Brandon Prust led the team with 20 fights, Michael Rupp served as a heavyweight with 13 fights, while Stu Bickel added a dozen more fights. Brandon Dubinsky had 6 fights, including his usual couple against the Flyers, and even despite leading the league in fights, the team still traded for the behemoth defenseman John Scott at the deadline.

Boston Bruins - 61 fights
The world champion Bruins showed their team spirit early in the season when the soft Carolina Hurricanes knocked out Joey Corvo with a dangerous hit. The Bruins would seek revenge for the rest of the game, intimidating and instigating their weaker opponent all game, including a Zdeno Chara teeing off on Jay Harrison while Nathan Horton and Chris Kelly also got involved. And these were just the supplemental fighters. Heavyweight Shawn Thornton led the team, and league, with 20 fighting majors while Gregory Campbell added 10 and the fan-favorite Milan Lucic fought a half dozen times.

Philadelphia Flyers - 57 fights
The Flyers boasted one of the toughest lineups in the NHL, packed with North American styled forwards willing to drop the gloves to stick up for their team or teammates at any given moment. Zac Rinaldo led the team with 15 fights while the much improved Wayne Simmonds added another 10 fights. The veteran heavyweight Jody Shelley was around for tough match-ups, while Matt Walker, Scott Hartnell and others provided plenty of auxiliary toughness. The team had hard-fought series with the Rangers, including Tom Sestito chipping in 3 fights in a game, Bruins, and especially the Penguins with whom they brawled in the regular and post seasons alike. They may not have been the equal of this awards namesake, but given the climate of the NHL, these Flyers more than held their own.

Ottawa Senators - 53 fights
The Senators climbed to the top of the fight leader-board thanks to the always crazy Zenon Konopka, leading the team with 18 fights. One of the longest tenured fighters in the NHL, Chris Neil, brought his traditionally gritty style of play and fine enforcing to the lineup for another productive year (10 fights). Matt Carkner, the heavyweight defenseman, added only 3 fights but showed the team's spirit in the first round of the playoffs when he took a 1 game suspension to send a message to the Ranger's Brian Boyle, getting revenge for happenings earlier in the series with a old-school beating to the ice.

Anaheim Ducks - 44 fights
After a three year reign as the NHL's toughest team, singularly responsible for bringing intimidation back to the league as viable strategy for Stanley Cup contenders, Anaheim has slipped some but still remains one of the toughest teams in the league. Longtime heavyweight George Parros led the team with 11 fights. Tough defenseman Sheldon Brookbank and Matt Belesky, in his first full year, both contributed 8 more. Thirteen total players fought, giving the team some decent team toughness as well.


My Pick

Well the Rangers delivered everything a fan could want this year. I think there are several teams here that could all equally be voted for as fine examples of successful, tough clubs. The Rangers get my tie-breaker because of the league leading total and, well, they're my team (homerism is ok in tie-breaker situations I'm told!)


Past Winners

2003-04: Calgary Flames
2005-06: Ottawa Senators
2006-07: Anaheim Ducks
2007-08: Anaheim Ducks
2008-09: Anaheim Ducks
2009-10: Philadelphia Flyers
2010-11: New York Islanders

[MattBurger]

By mid-season I thought the Bruins were running away with this award, but then they slowed down the physical play and the Rangers passed them by. It's part of the reason why the Bruins are golfing right now and the Rangers are still competing for the cup.

Rangers.

[Jack Schitt]

This one was tough. Rangers, Sens and Bruins all were good candidates. The Rangers and Sens both exhibited some classic enforcing at points this season. Since the Rangers are still in the running, I'll go with them, followed closely by the Sens.

[kmd19]

My heart votes for the Bruins, but the brain and my actual vote go to the Rangers. Afterall, they are still playing...

[slashtrey]

Rangers take this one for sure. The Bruins had a disappointing second half.

[Whaler Fan]

Originally Posted by slashtrey

Rangers take this one for sure. The Bruins had a disappointing second half.

Record wise. Yes.

Enforcing. I don't think so, I have no idea where you got that from.

[Travis24]

As a Flyers fan its always tough to give the Rangers props, but I think they take this category, with both the Bruins and Flyers right behind them.

[Big_Fat_Dan]

It was a good year for us Rangers Fans, especially in the fight department.

[mikebflorida]

Hard not to vote for the Rangers even before they went and picked up John Scott. Why did they pick him up by the way? lol

[fcm]

The thing here is I think the Bruins are tougher... but Bruins' tough players are more important hockey players than Rangers' tough players.

I'll explain myself.
Chara, Lucic, Boychuk, Horton and these guys, are badly hurting their team if they spend 5 minutes in the penalty box. Their fighters are those guys you want to see play 16-18 minutes a game, or even 25 minutes for Chara.

Rangers' fighters are Mike Rupp (4th line guy), Brandon Prust (also a 4th line player), Stu Bickel (3rd pair defenseman) and then you have the guys like Dubinsky and Callahan who play tough.

[Isles4life]

This was a tough decision for me this year. Sure, the Rangers led the league in fights and are a very worthy candidate. But while the acquisition of John Scott should have been the clincher in most people's eyes, I didn't like the way they mostly just let him rot in the press box (not saying it was the wrong personnel move, but doesn't do it for me for that transaction having the desired impact). I'll be honest and say I'm sure I'm also just looking for a reason to avoid voting for the Rangers, although I genuinely don't believe this should be a runaway decision.

I'll vote for Ottawa. In the modern heavyweight-light NHL, you can go to battle and enforce with some smaller guys with the right attitude. Players like Zenon Konopka, Chris Neil, and of course Matt Carkner (despite his low fight total this season) have all shown the willingness to cross the line and do what needs to be done to stand up for their team. Throw in a couple other guys who play a gritty game on the roster, and the Senators are not a team I'd want to mess with.

[dg33garcia]

Went with Boston, but the Rangers are a c-hair away...

[The Mad House]

I'm going with the Rangers. Still upset me when they got John Scott and then only dressed him for a few games, he was playing regularly on the 'Hawks roster. But it may have been a blessing in disguise as we got to see Bollig come up and do his thing. I hope John Scott keeps playing.

[straka91]

Went with the Sens just for something different lol. Boston was probably the better though.

I dont see how the Rangers can get this award. Prust and Rupp were the top dogs and they were pretty meh this season. Bickel, love the guy but he is an average fighter. To his credit, he made up for the other 2 lack of enthusiasm to fight. Scott played what, 2 games with the Rangers? On paper they are tough as hell, but as actual Broad Street mentality, hell freaking no. I would put the Devil's before this group since Bam Bam and Boulton actually tried to get stuff going.

Flyers, Rinaldo and Simmonds were the top dogs who played regularly. Yes they had Shelley and Sestito in for a dozen games, but one did very little during his limited time and the other was just a complete dumbass trying to stir up the pot and played himself out of the league. That and they had some of the most pathetically soft line ups ever dressed.

Overall i think this season lacked a true Broadstreet Bully team.

[Philly Fan 27]

maybe its my hate of the rangers that blinds me from seeing this, but to me their enforcer, mike rupp, is the face of the "new nhl enforcer". i cant vote for someone like that.