Who Is The Toughest Team 2013

[delneggs]

The Islanders, Rangers and Bruins are top 3 I think. The Islanders have 3 legit brawlers in Carkner/Martin/Boulton. The Rangers have a semi legit heavyweight in Rupp, a true legit middleweight in Asham, and a very willing Bickel who is getting better as a brawler and is big at 6'4". They can also bring up Haley who is a tough as nails middleweight and Segal who is sort of a willing punching bag. The Bruins have Thornton who is tough as nails, Chara who rarely goes but can if needed, Lucic who is also very tough, and others like McQuaid who can hold his own. Honorable mention to the Flyers with Shelley, Rinaldo and Simmons. You have love hockey in the East!

[Flyers2001]

Originally Posted by delneggs

The Islanders, Rangers and Bruins are top 3 I think. The Islanders have 3 legit brawlers in Carkner/Martin/Boulton. The Rangers have a semi legit heavyweight in Rupp, a true legit middleweight in Asham, and a very willing Bickel who is getting better as a brawler and is big at 6'4". They can also bring up Haley who is a tough as nails middleweight and Segal who is sort of a willing punching bag. The Bruins have Thornton who is tough as nails, Chara who rarely goes but can if needed, Lucic who is also very tough, and others like McQuaid who can hold his own. Honorable mention to the Flyers with Shelley, Rinaldo and Simmons. You have love hockey in the East!

Not that you will ever see a Flyers line up this year with Shelly, Sestito, Rinaldo, Simmons and Hartnell but they are all on the Flyers Roster. The only thing that can truly make this possible is if they decide to send Laughton back to Juniors and there are injuries. The Phantoms have limited quality players to bring up.

[mikebflorida]

I'm going with the Islanders right now as the toughest (looking) team.

Carkner, Martin, Finley(6'8), and Boulton could easily be in the regular lineup since Carkner and Finley are defensemen. That's 3 heavyweights and a light heavy who likes to fight a lot. Finley might just be a big goof but he dropped them on a faceoff with Pierre Cedric Labrie in game 2!

Impressive. Most impressive.

[ValJamesRules]

I don't know, now that Staffords dropping them for the Sabres...look out!

[Stevens Lindros]

Originally Posted by delneggs

The Islanders, Rangers and Bruins are top 3 I think. The Islanders have 3 legit brawlers in Carkner/Martin/Boulton. The Rangers have a semi legit heavyweight in Rupp, a true legit middleweight in Asham, and a very willing Bickel who is getting better as a brawler and is big at 6'4". They can also bring up Haley who is a tough as nails middleweight and Segal who is sort of a willing punching bag. The Bruins have Thornton who is tough as nails, Chara who rarely goes but can if needed, Lucic who is also very tough, and others like McQuaid who can hold his own. Honorable mention to the Flyers with Shelley, Rinaldo and Simmons. You have love hockey in the East!

Not to mention Kris Newbury!

I'd say Isles are marginally tougher though with two legit heavy's in Boulton and Carkner. Also, easy for me to say from behind a keyboard but Asham looks out of shape for the Rangers.

[joe the boss 63]

For real, the bruins, fagetaboutit !!!! , FOR ALL U SABRES FANS LOL YOU GOALTENDER STILL CANT WALK IN A STRAIGHT LINE ANF THE LUCIC SLAPPED HIS BUDDY JOKE

[Jack Schitt]

Originally Posted by joe the boss 63

For real, the bruins, fagetaboutit !!!! , FOR ALL U SABRES FANS LOL YOU GOALTENDER STILL CANT WALK IN A STRAIGHT LINE ANF THE LUCIC SLAPPED HIS BUDDY JOKE

Great.... another one.

You EDITED this drivel and STILL came up with this? You make smashem look like a Rhodes scholar.

I look forward to more of your insightful comments.

[Nick_Fotiu]

No team has the depth of the Bruins. What top 4 on any team could match up with Thornton, Lucic, McQuaid, and Chara? Oh, and throw in Macdermid soon.

But their depth doesn't stop there. Guys like Ference, Boychuck, Campbell, and Horton (pre-concussion) are more than capable of handling themselves.

they have 9/10 skaters who can throw. Nasty team.

[Jack Schitt]

IMO it's pretty clear what a lot of us already knew... It's the Bruins. Not only do they have good toughness at the top, but they seem to be capable or at least willing throughout the roster. As has been mentioned before, the real key is that they play that lineup every night no matter who the opponent is. They have a style and identity that remains constant. Other teams just don't do that. The Isles were touted as being at the top for toughness. Last night proved that what looks good on paper or in theory doesn't always translate to the ice.

[Flyers2001]

Originally Posted by Nick_Fotiu

No team has the depth of the Bruins. What top 4 on any team could match up with Thornton, Lucic, McQuaid, and Chara? Oh, and throw in Macdermid soon.

But their depth doesn't stop there. Guys like Ference, Boychuck, Campbell, and Horton (pre-concussion) are more than capable of handling themselves.

they have 9/10 skaters who can throw. Nasty team.

The Bruins are the toughest but body wise The Flyers can match them with their roster.

Shelly, Sestito, Rinaldo, Simmonds, Hartnell, L Schenn, B Schenn, McGinn, Talbot, Coburn

The Bruins top 3 is hard to match, but thins even out in depth.

[MattBurger]

The Bruins are the toughest team in the league when they want to be, but they tend to have nights like last night where they are not interested in getting physical, for whatever reason. They tend to fight only on their own terms.

I have to say, I really like Buffalo's team toughness this season. Boston vs Buffalo are the games I most look forward to going forward.

[cookie monster]

The Bruins dress the toughest team on a day in day out basis because their tough guys (Thornton, Chara,Lucic, McQuaid, Campbell, Horton...etc) can all actually play.

The Flyers have the toughest roster, but very rarely if ever dress them all.

Columbus has the best all around fighter in Jared Boll...

Coaching has allot to do with it as well. It seems Julien trusts his guys and let's then drop the gloves when they seem necessary.

Laviolette on the other hand seems to almost handcuff the Flyers at times and doesn't seem to have faith in his tough guys like Julien does. If say Randy Carlise coached the Flyers, this argument would be moot.

The Isles and Rangers are a close 3 a and b.

The Leafs gotta be up there as well. Orr and Frazer? How many teams dress TWO 4th line heavyweights these days?

[slashtrey]

Originally Posted by cookie monster

The Bruins dress the toughest team on a day in day out basis because their tough guys (Thornton, Chara,Lucic, McQuaid, Campbell, Horton...etc) can all actually play.

The Flyers have the toughest roster, but very rarely if ever dress them all.

Columbus has the best all around fighter in Jared Boll...

Coaching has allot to do with it as well. It seems Julien trusts his guys and let's then drop the gloves when they seem necessary.

Laviolette on the other hand seems to almost handcuff the Flyers at times and doesn't seem to have faith in his tough guys like Julien does. If say Randy Carlise coached the Flyers, this argument would be moot.

The Isles and Rangers are a close 3 a and b.

The Leafs gotta be up there as well. Orr and Frazer? How many teams dress TWO 4th line heavyweights these days?

Buffalo is tougher than the Rangers right now by a lot. Rangers are not even top 10 with the lineup they're dressing tonight.

[pmcginty]

Originally Posted by slashtrey

Buffalo is tougher than the Rangers right now by a lot. Rangers are not even top 10 with the lineup they're dressing tonight.

buffalo has been dressing mccormick and scott for the last few games. they have some injury issues and just plain suck hockey wise at this point so that may stay the case.

boston certainly has fallen off since thornton went down.

the rangers lost some toughness with the rupp trade, but they picked up a promising hw in mashinter. is he in the minors?

[slashtrey]

Originally Posted by pmcginty

buffalo has been dressing mccormick and scott for the last few games. they have some injury issues and just plain suck hockey wise at this point so that may stay the case.

boston certainly has fallen off since thornton went down.

the rangers lost some toughness with the rupp trade, but they picked up a promising hw in mashinter. is he in the minors?

He was called up for less than a day and sent back down without playing a game. Bickel is also a scratch tonight. And Haley is stuck in the minors. They still have tough guys, they're just not playing them.