Bring the Pain: The 10 Most Brutal Head Shots of the 2010-11 NHL Season

The Stanley Cup playoffs begin tomorrow night, get ready by checking out this season's most vicious blows to the dome. Pause.

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Complex Original

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The Stanley Cup playoffs begin tomorrow night with the first-round of quarterfinals match-ups. While the 2010-11 NHL season was filled with a couple tight divisional races and some teams barely sneaking into the postseason (we see you, Rangers), the real story of the year was head shots. Vicious hits that caused concussions, fractured vertebrae, and broken jaws had fans, players, and league officials debating whether or not the game needs a change. We're not saying the league would be soft without them (no shots, Super Mario!) but big hits are no doubt entertaining to look back on. So, as you prepare for tomorrow night's first-round of action, check out The 10 Most Brutal Head Shots of the 2010-11 NHL Season...

 

10. Francis Lessard, Ottawa Senators

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9. Derek Stepan, New York Rangers

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8. Raffi Torres, Vancouver Canucks

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7. Todd Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings

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6. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

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5. Daniel Paille, Boston Bruins

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4. Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

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3. Marc Staal, New York Rangers

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2. Matt Cooke, Pittsburgh Penguins

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1. Tom Kostopoulos, Calgary Flames

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