The ability to be more physical than your opponent is one way to win in the NHL. If you can do it consistently, it is also often a recipe for playoff success.
Look at the last two Stanley Cup winners. Both the Los Angeles Kings and the Boston Bruins won their final series in large part because they were more physical than the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks.
This article ranks the remaining eight teams in the playoffs based on which team is the hardest hitting and most physical. Keep in mind that ranking a team eighth doesn't mean they are incapable of playing a tough, physical game. Few teams can advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs on finesse alone.
But the remaining teams are ranked here on the basis of their overall physicality and how important hitting and physicality is to their strategy and success.
Feel free to comment on why you feel a team should be higher or lower on this list, but please say why when you add your comments.