Can Belak Handle the West?

[calgarytough]

its not the quality if heavys its the amount and lets face facts your called on to fight more the play is more phyical and its just the way the hockey is played out here more tight checking and nasty compared to the easts free flowing offencuve game, mcgratton is scratched all the time but they still git fedoruk carcillo murray morris jovo doan hale and sauer all in n regular if east teams scrathed peters, godard, laraque, brashear, or koci for example theres nobody else, belak fights 8 times a year if he stays on that pace out here hell hit the minors before he gets to 8

1 teams in top 10 FM is from east im sick of all the "east is tougher" people its a god damn joke, outside the flyers who is there

[bengino]

Belak can and will hang in there. While Colton Orr may have made him a little bit more careful for when and with who he fights, it's not always his decision. If the coach has him on a leash he may not have much of a say if he wants to keep his job.

[Blouin]

he can handle the West, he is coming from the toughest conference, the East.

[leafs_fan77]

Yea I think he will be able to handle it. He hung in with Boogy twice so far this season, one of them giving him a win. But I guess we will have to see.

[BrianTheAdsFan]

Did you see this fight? Belak vs. Boogaard

It was a monster scrap Thursday night in Miami with Wade Belak of the Florida Panthers doing quite well, thank you very much, with Minnesota Wild behemoth Derek Boogaard (he's so big, he needs two Os and two As in his last name).


I love the tough guys, so I apologize ahead of time if I offend anyone with the occasional fight talk.


The Web site www.hockeyfights.com -- the specialists in the business -- had Belak taking the decision by a 73.2-percent vote from readers. An upset. Boogaard rarely loses.

- Pierre LeBrun

http://http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3649524&name=lebrun_pierre

VF scores again!

[Bobby_Pinn]

Of course he can handle it, he just left the conference with arguably the best 4 fighters! (Brash, Laraque, Godard, Orr) Obviously the West is the easier competition. Hell the only guys i'd rank him behind are Boogaard (who he's done ok with) and McGrattan (who doesnt even play). Guys like Parros, Hordichuk, Ivanans, and Shelley are all fighters that Belak can beat and imo is better than.

[KordicNilanRoberge]

He handled easily. Boogaard is only very hard competitor of west fighters and Belak is near draw for him last fight. All others Belak can beat.

[Cat Smasher]

Originally Posted by The Don

Belak will be fine until someone breaks his nose.

And then he will avenge that with a win next time they fight, ala Orr.

[DUSTER76]

Belak will shake the rust off just fine , ala Janssen , and work himself into a Top 5 WEST coast fighter.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Cat Smasher

And then he will avenge that with a win next time they fight, ala Orr.

He'll be retired before he comes back to form.

[Cat Smasher]

Originally Posted by The Don

He'll be retired before he comes back to form.

Orr broke his nose 4 or 5 years ago, then Belak went on to beat him two more times, including Brash that same year. Belak didn't even lose a fight in 07/08, and hasn't lost to Orr since.

So, that's it.

[I like Boobs]

Originally Posted by Cat Smasher

Orr broke his nose 4 or 5 years ago, then Belak went on to beat him two more times, including Brash that same year. Belak didn't even lose a fight in 07/08, and hasn't lost to Orr since.

So, that's it.

He also only fought 8 times last year and in one of those fights against Orr, he jumped him pretty good, and was getting beat up at the end of the fight when he went to the ice. I called that one a clear loss - if you can't put a guy away after you jump him, and you end up in a semi-turtle position, you lose the fight.

I thought in one of the Boulton fights, Boulton may have done enough to get an edge, as Belak was gassed towards the end and Boulton really tagged him with a couple of hard shots that looked to stun Belak a bit. Close fights in both the Boulton fights last year.

[Cat Smasher]

Originally Posted by I like Boobs

He also only fought 8 times last year and in one of those fights against Orr, he jumped him pretty good, and was getting beat up at the end of the fight when he went to the ice. I called that one a clear loss - if you can't put a guy away after you jump him, and you end up in a semi-turtle position, you lose the fight.

I thought in one of the Boulton fights, Boulton may have done enough to get an edge, as Belak was gassed towards the end and Boulton really tagged him with a couple of hard shots that looked to stun Belak a bit. Close fights in both the Boulton fights last year.

I think him and Boulton only fought 3 times in that span, and Belak beat him twice, the first I can't remember, but I'll take your word for it.

As far as Orr, 4 fights, 1 loss. I just don't get what buddy is saying about Belak not being in form? Give me a break.

He never was a t2t guy, never will be. His fight card doesn't have a lot off opponents, but that's quality vs quantity.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Cat Smasher

Orr broke his nose 4 or 5 years ago, then Belak went on to beat him two more times, including Brash that same year. Belak didn't even lose a fight in 07/08, and hasn't lost to Orr since.

So, that's it.

Belak is one of the better fighters out there but he looked like sh*t for the rest of the 05 - 06 season all the way into the start of the next season after Orr busted his nose.

As for the Belak Orr discussion -

Better Fighter: Orr or Belak?

Orr won the last two fights.

[I like Boobs]

This is the one I was talking about, where Boulton comes on towards the end. I wouldn't argue a draw either, I favor what happens at the end of the fight more than the beginning unless the opponent is really overwhelmed at the beginning.

YouTube - Belak vs Boulton Nov 29, 2007

And this is the Orr fight where Belak gets the head start but ends up in the prone position eating a couple of right hands. I called this one a Belak loss:

YouTube - Orr vs Belak Dec 29, 2007 - CBC feed

Belak has been consistently a pretty solid heavyweight throughout his career. I don't mind the guy, I just don't like his style sometimes but it words for him. You can't argue the quality of his card though, he fights all the top guys and does well. Solid heavyweight.