Players have taken hitting up a notch in NHL playoffs
Ramped up post-season intensity results in hike in body checking
Oilers captain Connor Mcdavid took a big hit from Kings forward Quinton Byfield along the boards. Edmonton winger Zach Hyman steamrollered Los Angeles centre Phillip Danault in the same series.
Back east, the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning have been running into each other at breakneck speed.
The difference between Game 82 of the regular season and the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is always stark. The physicality this spring, however, has touched a new level — especially in the Atlantic Division
Through the first 25 games of these playoffs, NHL teams were averaging a combined 86.8 hits per contest. That's 1.5 more hits per outing compared to the same point last spring. The NHL, which officially started tracking the stat after the 2004-05 lockout, saw an average of 78.6 hits in 2021-22.
Down 3-1 in their series with the Bruins, the Leafs led the stats page with 236 hits through four games for an average of 59 per 60 minutes of play. Division rivals Tampa Bay (57.78) and Florida (53.83) were next followed by Boston (50.75).
“It's the nature of playoff hockey, especially in the first round,” Toronto captain John Tavares said. “It's the investment, the commitment.”
Game 3 of the Leafs-bruins series saw 137 hits, which sits as the third-most in playoff history since the numbers have been tracked.
“There's bodies flying around all over the place,” Oilers forward Corey Perry said. “Intensity gets ramped up … an exciting time of year.”
And it's not only the usual suspects — bottom-six forwards, hard-nosed defencemen — throwing their weight. Leafs star Auston Matthews, who scored 69 times in the regular season, sat tied for fifth in the playoffs with 20 hits. Florida's Sam Reinhart, second in the NHL with 57 goals, has 17, while Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos sits at 15.
“You can push some players and some teams out of the game with the hits, with the physicality,” said bruising Vancouver Canucks blueliner Nikita Zadorov. “A really important aspect of the game … teams are looking to get their teammates going or go against specific guys.”
Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano, in the league since 2007-08, said that while players are still getting in each other's way, the type of hits have changed as the game has got faster and more skilled.
“Physicality years back, maybe that was one of the biggest keys,” said the 36-year-old. “Now a lot of it is just going through people even if it's not a big hit. Taking time and space away, running into people.
“Physicality is just second nature when playoffs come. It's a good way of getting into the game and it creates energy.”
Hits, however, have historically been a subjective stat. Some arenas have been more generous with the counting, while others far more strict.
“When I was younger playing in Minnesota against Cal Clutterbuck, he seemingly had 10 hits a night without breathing,” Boston defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “It's a little bit based on who's tracking it.”
Zadorov, whose team is battling the Nashville Predators in the first round, said he used to get into arguments with statisticians in Calgary
when he was with the Flames.
“I make money because of it, right?” said the Russian, who had 13 hits through three games entering Sunday. “Some buildings, you've got to put a guy through the wall to get the hit. Some, you just tap him and it's a hit.”
The NHL made a move toward more consistency when it comes to counting hits this season. The league added nearly 7,000 hits to its regular-season numbers in February for 2023-24 alone as part of a sweeping audit.
The league goes through a similar examination each night before numbers are made official the morning after games. The process should provide a clearer picture, but there's still going to be variance.
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said physical play in these playoffs is no different than in the past.
“I think the numbers are higher than ever because they're counting them differently,” he said. “But playoffs, it goes without saying, the guys are physical, guys are giving everything they have. They're closing space quicker than they do in the regular season. Then they're finishing it with authority.”
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said the real test is if the level can be maintained.
“It's the sustainability,” he said. “Is it just one or two games? You don't want to run out of position for a hit. If it's there, it's there.”