Best rivalry that never was?

In 96 and 97 the Blackhawks and Avs played back to back 6 games series in playoffs. Those were both very good series but Wirtz dismantling of Hawks killed this potential rivalry. Would have been a great one.

What rivalry died to early before it started?

 

For some reason I think Buffalo vs Boston should be a more bitter rivalry than it is.
I don't see too much hatred between the teams nor fans. But it has potential due to geography division.

 

Flyers and Bruins had an intense and immense rivalry in the 70s including four playoff battles (1974; 1976-78) in five years but the teams haven't met in the PO since and the rivalry fizzled for the most part.

 

Islanders and Devils. Geographically separated by only a handful of miles, but no more a rivalry than, say, Islanders v. Coyotes.

 

don't worry the wings swooped in and made the best of it

 

It has to due that they have a common enemy.

 

I think if the Bruins and Rangers ended up in the same division, that could turn into a great rivalry, much like Red Sox/ Yankees, Celtics/Knicks and Pats/Jets.

 

The fairly recent battles between the Wings and the Preds could have blossomed into something, both teams elevated their play when they faced each other, although it was much closer in 05-06 than last season. Unfortunatley the dismantling of the Preds seems tohave put an end to that. It's a pity, that could have been really fun to see develop.

 

Islanders are the odd team out of the 3 NYC area teams. Devils vs. Rangers is by far better than Islanders vs. Devils/Rangers. The fact that the Islanders have less fans doesnt help either.

 

HaHa, yeah right. If you take these boards as a representative sample of the number of fans for each of the respective teams, there is no contest; Isles fans outnumber Devils fans 2x.

 

This year, I was expecting that Montreal/Pittsburgh rivalry to go somewhere, but it seemed to fade away the next time they played.

 

Nah, Rangers/Isles is classic. It's definitely a common enemy thing.

 

Yeah, that's one I was really looking forward to. The Predators trying to establish themselves in the play-offs against one of the most succesful Cup teams of the last 10 years. It could have been great.

 

maybe with the changes made in LA this could turn into a new rivalry- LA and Anaheim?

 

Never will be (unfortunately):

Hamilton and Toronto (or anybody else)

 

If that's the model, then count the Sharks/Preds in about a year.

 

Boston-Hartford

 

Now that is a laugh
Look who's last in attendance every season. Plus the Isles had a 10-year start to gain more fans than the Devs, who also have to battle for fans with Philly in South Jersey, not just the Rangers.
What is more important is that our common enemy is the Rangers, the Isles are the older cousins of the Devs. But NYI just has less fans, which is a fact.

 

Boston and Buffalo should have been classic rivals. Throughout the 80's Boston hammered them in the playoffs almost everytime. '93 changed that and Boston never beat them after that again.

 

if the lockout didnt happen, i have a feeling the avs-nucks would have become a brutal/violent rivalry. but that year off calmed the storm and saw many of the players involved leave.

i think the sharks/preds rivalry that seemed so promising in the playoffs will be gone now with forsberg/kariya/vokoun and most importantly hartnell leaving. it couldve been the wings/avs all over again, with two skilled great teams with intense hatred.

 

this one is not over yet... you can bet fans in montreal won't forget crosby, and vice versa... all the key players remain (carbonneau, therrien, lapierre, crosby, koivu, armstrong) and both teams have propsect depth that should keep them competitive into the future (not to mention the esposito situation)... might even be a first round playoff match-up next year.

 

It did happen...kinda. Whalers fans hated the Ruins. Unfortunately, we weren't considered more than a fun road trip for their fans.

 

I don't understand why Carolina and Montreal don't have a deep hatred for each other. Carolina pulled off the "Miracle in Molson" which started Jose Theodore's downard spiral, we've come back from 2-0 series deficits twice against them, and Justin Williams carved out Saku Koivu's eye. From what I've seen, both teams and their fans are tolerant of each other. I guess that is more of a "Rivalry that should have been but never materialized."

 

Montreal and Quebec was going to only get more intense as the team (Avs) got so good. They were never quite on par with the Habs until about 1993. The bitter feelings of the mid 80's seemed to return during the 1993 playoff series but that was pretty much it. Nords missed p-offs in 94, MTL missed in 95, and that was the end. The whole thing left me wanting more. The (Adams) division was great when it was Boston, Hartford, Buffalo, Montreal, Quebec.

 

Vancouver and Winnipeg had a great rivalry in the early 1990's, Canucks take the last playoff spot in 91, Canucks beat Jets in 92 after down 3-1, Canucks beat Jets the next year after Greg Adams questionable goal..you had to young snipers in Selanne and Bure at their early years and both teams played the hell out of each other..

What happened? Winnipeg got moved to the Central division in 1994 while Vancouver was in the Pacific, the last great Canucks-Jets moment was when Mike Peca shoulder checks Selanne in Vancouver..

Jets moved to Phoenix and the rivalry was dead...