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On the Fly: 4 players we love to hate

Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / Getty

Every Friday this season, theScore's NHL editors are debating a hot-button issue in 'On The Fly,' our roundtable series. This week, we identify a quartet of players we can't help but loathe.

Andrew Shaw

Navin Vaswani: There's just something about Andrew Shaw's face.

He's a pest. He even looks like a pest. And pests are easy to hate. He's always yapping at referees. Did you know that Shaw has never actually committed an infraction on the ice? His 358 career penalty minutes are part of a larger conspiracy against him and players like him.

Shaw's been suspended for dirty hits and for using a homophic slur against an official. The latter's very tough to look past, but Shaw, as we've learned, is clearly someone who plays with a lot of emotion, and he has trouble containing it at times. It's a fine line for the 25-year-old to toe, because he's one of those guys who's most effective when he's playing on the edge.

And that's what makes Shaw so annoying - he's an effective hockey player. He's good at what he does. He's a 20-goal scorer, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with big postseason goals on his CV, including a triple-overtime winner in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. He played that series with a broken rib.

You want Shaw on your team. He's one of those guys, the kind who clearly drives his opponents crazy. He feeds off it. Problem is, he's so hard to ignore, especially when he loses his mind and abuses innocent hockey sticks.

Yeah, there's just something about Shaw. Love him if he's on your team, loathe him with every fiber of your being if he's not.

Zdeno Chara

Craig Hagerman: Chara is a pest like no other.

That's because no pest stands at 6-foot-9 like he does. Chara is a beast of human, there is no other way to describe him.

Players looking to get in front of Tuukka Rask never do so completely unscathed. Try to slide past him along the boards, and you'll likely end up on your ass. And if the Bruins decide to sit him in front of your goalie on a power play, well, there's very little you can do to stop him. Oh, and if you're stupid enough, he will even drop the gloves with you if you're willing.

Add to the fact he has a cannon of a shot, he's a great leader, and a former Norris Trophy winner and you have all the ingredients of a one-of-a-kind player. The ultimate "hate to play him, would love to have him" kind of talent.

He might be starting to lose his speed at his age, but rest assured, Chara isn't - and never will be - a pushover.

Chris Neil

Sean O'Leary: There's something to be said about Neil's dedication to his craft.

After all, there aren't too many 37-year-old agitators roaming the NHL these days.

Neil has been a heart-and-soul player for the Ottawa Senators his entire career, winning over the hearts of fans by constantly playing in the face of his opponents, and dropping his gloves more than a few times along the way.

His 2,492 penalty minutes (and counting) rank 22nd all time, easily the most among active NHLers. Neil's failed to reach the triple-digit mark in PIMs just once in his career, when he only played 38 games in 2014-15, accumulating 78 minutes in infractions.

Neil is only one game shy of 1,000 for his career - an impressive feat regardless of your playing style. There's probably 29 teams that are sick of seeing his face above the Senators logo he's worn for so long, but there's at least one franchise that holds him near and dear.

Drew Doughty

Cory Wilkins: Doughty is a top-notch NHL defenseman. And he knows it.

The Los Angeles Kings blue-liner hasn't missed a beat since being drafted second overall in 2008 and making an immediate jump into the NHL.

Right-shot defensemen are a rare commodity in the NHL, and Doughty is one of them. Not only that, but he's big, he's rangy, he produces, and that's not to forget his physical game. In other words, he's the complete package. He has the chirps to back it up.

Doughty is what all NHL defensemen should aim to be. He even admitted his frustration that he hadn't won a Norris Trophy, but that all changed last season, when he was recognized as the NHL's top defenseman. It's that sort of drive and dedication that sees you win two Stanley Cups before your 25th birthday.

This is all well and good if you're a Kings fan. If not, Doughty is surely a player you love to hate.

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