Is Truculence the way to win it all?

[powderjunkie]

truc·u·lent [truhk-yuh-luhnt]

1.fierce; cruel; savagely brutal.
2.brutally harsh; vitriolic; scathing: his truculent criticism of her work.
3.aggressively hostile; belligerent.


Obviously there is more to truculance than PIMS, but here is a very quick analysis of cup winners since the lockout:


2013 Blackhawks - Least penalized team in regular season

Shaw 38 PIMS in 48 games (and 35 in 23 playoff games)
Bollig 51 PIMs in 25 games, only played 5 playoff games


2012 Kings - 13th most penalized

Clifford 123 PIM
M Richards 71 PIM
Doughty 69 PIM
Fraser 67 PIM

Brown, Greene, Nolan, Penner are also 'tough' players


2011 Bruins - 8th most penalized

Lucic - 121
Thornton - 122
Campbell - 93
Chara - 88


2010 Blackhawks - 5th LEAST penalized

Eager - 120
Byfuglien - 94
Ladd - 67

Bolland, Brouwer


2009 Penguins - 17th most penalized

Cooke - 101
Malkin - 80 (also 51 in 24 GP)
Crosby - 76
Orpick 73


2008 Red Wings - Least penalized

Holmstrom - 58


2007 - Ducks - MOST penalized

Parros 102 (only played 5 playoff games)
Moen - 101
O'Donnell
Thornton - 88
S Niedermayer - 86
R Niedermayer - 77 (39 in playoffs)
Selanne - 82
Kunitz - 81
Getzlaf - 66 (32 in playoffs)
Perry - 51 (37 in playoffs)


2006 Hurricanes - 5th LEAST penalized

Commodore - 138
E Staal - 81
Brind'Amour - 68
A Ward - 62

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

truc·u·lent [truhk-yuh-luhnt]

1.fierce; cruel; savagely brutal.
2.brutally harsh; vitriolic; scathing: his truculent criticism of her work.
3.aggressively hostile; belligerent.


Obviously there is more to truculance than PIMS, but here is a very quick analysis of cup winners since the lockout:


2013 Blackhawks - Least penalized team in regular season

Shaw 38 PIMS in 48 games (and 35 in 23 playoff games)
Bollig 51 PIMs in 25 games, only played 5 playoff games


2012 Kings - 13th most penalized

Clifford 123 PIM
M Richards 71 PIM
Doughty 69 PIM
Fraser 67 PIM

Brown, Greene, Nolan, Penner are also 'tough' players


2011 Bruins - 8th most penalized

Lucic - 121
Thornton - 122
Campbell - 93
Chara - 88


2010 Blackhawks - 5th LEAST penalized

Eager - 120
Byfuglien - 94
Ladd - 67

Bolland, Brouwer


2009 Penguins - 17th most penalized

Cooke - 101
Malkin - 80 (also 51 in 24 GP)
Crosby - 76
Orpick 73


2008 Red Wings - Least penalized

Holmstrom - 58


2007 - Ducks - MOST penalized

Parros 102 (only played 5 playoff games)
Moen - 101
O'Donnell
Thornton - 88
S Niedermayer - 86
R Niedermayer - 77 (39 in playoffs)
Selanne - 82
Kunitz - 81
Getzlaf - 66 (32 in playoffs)
Perry - 51 (37 in playoffs)


2006 Hurricanes - 5th LEAST penalized

Commodore - 138
E Staal - 81
Brind'Amour - 68
A Ward - 62

Penalty minutes and truculance have nothing to do with each other. I realzie you put the qualifier at the top, but your statistics aren't even relevant. You can be truculant and disiplined.

To answer your question though, no Truculance is not the WAY to win it, it's simply part of it.

[Huntingwhale]

If those are in the fact the official definitions, they are awesome.

[BlackWallStreet]

1.fierce; cruel; savagely brutal.
2.brutally harsh; vitriolic; scathing: his truculent criticism of her work.
3.aggressively hostile; belligerent.


Lol that's so awesome. Sounds like a team id enjoy

[Vinny01]

I enjoy watching big tough teams play especially when there are a few game breakers on our side. I think the 2004 Flames were quite truculent and their ability to crash and bang wore the more skilled teams out (obviously Kipper was the biggest reason they made it that far)

Look at the 2011 Canucks for instance. They were a highly skilled team that relied on their PP and skill to win games. I hated the way that team played they had the reputation to dive and not fight back. Contrast that with the Bruins who were a crash and bang type team. They were highly entertaining and eventually won by beating the Canucks down. In fact Vancouver has tried to copy that model a bit by adding Kassian and having their goon lead the league in majors.

IMO the key to win with truculence is having an elite goalie and pk

[terminator]

Sounds just like the 03/04 05:06 flames

[CaramonLS]

I think I missed the press conference where Burke said that he wanted a monopoly on fighting majors and dumb penalties.

[Caged Great]

Being Truculent doesn't mean taking dumb penalties. It means you hit the heck out the other team until they cannot go on.

The Hawks and Bruins slammed each other in the finals and there wasn't a ton of penalties.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Being Truculent doesn't mean taking dumb penalties. It means you hit the heck out the other team until they cannot go on.

The Hawks and Bruins slammed each other in the finals and there wasn't a ton of penalties.

The Black and Blue series last year (Kings/Blues) is another good example.

[herashak]

to be able to play different types of games. Win a slug fest with LA, Run and gun with Chicago.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

...I realzie you put the qualifier at the top, but your statistics aren't even relevant...

Further to the point, there is such a latitude of results that these figures pretty much nullify any attempt to derive a correlation. It seems to me that recent history shows no clear result from this: Highly penalised teams, rarely penalised teams, and teams in between are successful.

[CalgaryFan1988]

More size, doesn't mean that's all Burke wants. His two biggest career trades were arguably to acquire Kessel and the Sedins. Neither one are defined by the word of the month "truculent".

[Joborule]

As said already, the 2004 Flames were a truculent team. I think if you're going to win the cup, you can't be a pushover. When the Kings won, they were truculent. When Bruins defeated the Canucks to win the cup, they were truculent when Canucks were pushovers. Last playoffs, Bruins handled Penguins easily with their truculence, then lost to Blackhawks. But the Hawks aren't pushovers and can hold there own, which you can consider as truculent.

The Flames need to be a team that can hold their own physically. Add that with talent and speed, and they would be tough to beat.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

truc·u·lent [truhk-yuh-luhnt]

1.fierce; cruel; savagely brutal.
2.brutally harsh; vitriolic; scathing: his truculent criticism of her work.
3.aggressively hostile; belligerent.


Obviously there is more to truculance than PIMS, but here is a very quick analysis of cup winners since the lockout:

....stats, stats, stats.....

That's all well and good, but how did those teams measure up on the RGI (Ricardodw Grit Index)? That's the real question.

[foshizzle11]

Originally Posted by Joborule

As said already, the 2004 Flames were a truculent team. I think if you're going to win the cup, you can't be a pushover. When the Kings won, they were truculent. When Bruins defeated the Canucks to win the cup, they were truculent when Canucks were pushovers. Last playoffs, Bruins handled Penguins easily with their truculence, then lost to Blackhawks. But the Hawks aren't pushovers and can hold there own, which you can consider as truculent.

The Flames need to be a team that can hold their own physically. Add that with talent and speed, and they would be tough to beat.

This is bang on. I don't mind keeping guys like Bouma around during our rebuild because I think he can be apart of a winning team moving forward. He brings some of the elements we need now and will only improve. A balance between the Hawks and Bruins would be nice. I know that is asking a lot but why not wish for the stars now.

[nik-]

It's definitely overrated. Is Anaheim really any more physical than most teams, is Chicago? I don't think so, they just have size that they use and are skilled and buy in to play a complete game.

Picks like Tyler Biggs make me worry about Burke's myopia on size and "truculence"

[flamesfever]

No...I think skillful use of strength, rather than truculence as defined above, is much more effective e.g. Detroit.

[jg13]

being highly truculent is not a bad way to go for sure, LA Kings and Bruins would be the model I imagine Burke is after.

The other way you could go is Chicago, Pittsburgh route extremely fast & high skilled but definitely harder to put a team of that caliber together.

[Wastedyouth]

Forget truculence! Whats the teams RGI???

[N-E-B]

It's not THE way to win, but it's A way to win.