Does fighting help or hinder a team?

The red Wings are by far the least fightingest team in the NHL. However, it doesn't seem to do them any harm. Are they an anomaly, or doesn't it matter that much.

I crunched some numbers:

1. Detroit - Pts 67 - maj 8 - PIM/G 8.5
2. NY Rangers - Pts 64 - maj 36 - PIM/G 13.7
3. Boston - Pts 64 - maj 40 - PIM/G 16.1
4. St Louis - Pts 64 - maj 27 - PIM/G 13.4
5. Chicago - Pts 64 - maj 22 - PIM/G 10.4

16. NY Islanders - Pts 44 - maj 16 - PIM/G 9.4
17. Anaheim - Pts 43 - maj 28 - PIM/G 12.6
18. Buffalo - Pts 43 - maj 22 - PIM/G 12.0
19. Edmonton - Pts 40 - maj 20 - PIM/G 12.5
20. Columbus - Pts 32 - maj 32 - PIM/G 12.2

So what does this prove?

Well 3 of the top 5 are in the upper echelons of PIM collection. However, in the bottom 5, they're all nearly in the middle-ground of PIM collection.

I think I've proved that you either need to be great on the PK, like Boston or NY Rangers (7th and 3rd respectively), so that you can play the physical game when needed, and drop the gloves to intimidate or dish out a beat-down without worrying too much about instigators/roughing/misconducts, or you need to be a penalty avoidance team, like Detroit, who don't have a great PK (23rd), but then, collect so few PIMs that it doesn't matter that much anyway. Certainly in terms of major penalties, Boston have the most in 40, and Detroit the least in 8, two of which I know were boarding and high-sticking majors.

Anything inbetween just doesn't cut it, and it seems you have to be one extreme or the other.

Either that, or I've proved that fighting and PIMs bear absolutely no relevance to a team's position in the league!

The Wings are as soft as they come and successful with it. The Ducks on the otherhand play better with and edge and frequently lead the league in penalty minutes. They won the cup despite taking a ton of PIMs - having a great PK to back it up. Depends on the type of players on the roster I suppose.

Two early game fights in both B's games last weekend. Goals within a minute or two from the fight. Feels like it's helping us more often than not. It's the stupid penalties people take that annoy me more even than instigators as it's such a huge emotional swing.

A well timed and well chosen fight can be huge in tight or struggling games. Either in getting the crowd going, taking someone who's providing energy(and thereby hitting a lot) out of the game for a bit or to make players thing twice before playing the body.

BuffonIdol wrote:I think you have proved that statistics can prove anything and nothing.

Absolutely.

I would have said that a well timed punch up can make a game your own, but then I just saw Stewarts idiot move against the Wings, and That can really hinder your team - you lose, you may lose momentum and your player may get banned. So in answer tyo the question 'does fighting help or hinder a team' the answer is yes.

How the hell are Columbus 20th? Unless we're talking Western Conference only, in which case fairdo

sportsportsport wrote:

A well timed and well chosen fight can be huge in tight or struggling games.

The Penguins win against Philly in game six of our 09 cup run is a great example. Down 3-0, talbot fights carcillo. He doesn't even win but the Penguins come back and win the game 5-3!

Perfect example. Here's a thought does fighting becomes more relevant/valuable by happening less? Say we get rid of all the staged "lets get the bloodlust going" in matinee games and the "OMG you played hockey too hard let me punch you in the face" fights. You are left with momentum swing fights and supplemental fist discipline which also has an effect on the momentum of the game.

Is not that what the fights of old used to be like, and to weed out 'the rats?

But then (and with the rules as I understand them nowadays) it is very hard to get a momentum swing fight due to this 'instigator rule'. The losing team would have to be canny about starting a fight to avoid the attention and all the winning team would have to do is avoid dropping the gloves.

In the philly/pittsburgh play-off game.... well carcillo was involved.......... no surprise really!!!!

leafygiraffe wrote:So in answer tyo the question 'does fighting help or hinder a team' the answer is yes.

Incorrect. The answer was actually a piglet with a biker helmet on.