Who is our biggest rival?

[Lenny the Lynx]

Our biggest rival is overhyped prospects.

And Chiasson, **** that guy

 

[TeamRenzo]

Our budget...

 

[operasen]

Sometimes I think its ourselves - just believing that our players can do the job. When we ice the best team, as opposed to playing deadweight contracts just because we don't want to hurt any feelings, there is a better vibe on the ice.

When we went on that run it was sensational. When we somehow needed to get the deadwood back in for the playoffs, we lost that feeling, and the series, quickly.

To answer the question:

Right Now - Habs

and we will address the Subban slash at some point (within the rules)

Coming Again Soon - Leafs

Honorable Mention - Pens & Ottawa South (Bruins)

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Our budget...

 

[Busboy]

Both rivalries are more than 100 years old at this point. Obviously there was a big gap and the current rivalrys have little to do with the century old ones but I think it's interesting.

Toronto is still our main rival, and they probably always will be. The rivalry formed as the Sens started to assert their position as a legitimate team in the league and that foundation, including the four playoff series is enough to solidify a true rivalry that runs deeper than current roster and players.

When MTL starts sucking again then I'll go back to being largely indifferent to them. One thing I noticed is that their fans are silent when the team is doing poorly. The same can't be said about Toronto fans who are obnoxious any time the opportunity presents itself regardless of team success.

 

[darglor]

The Montreal rivalry is but a gnat when compared to the elephant that is the Toronto rivalry. The fact that Toronto sucks now doesn't really change that; it just saps some of the intensity out of it.

Even though they're bad, we still can't beat them. They look like a grizzled veteran hockey club when they face us, and the fact that we tend to play down to bad clubs in the first place doesn't help either.

 

[Back in Black]

Until we beat Toronto in the Playoffs, we will never hear the end of it!

We've already beat Montreal!

 

[Xamar*]

I'll never hate a team more than I hate Toronto. I think its the newer fans that don't understand why but that's ok.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

The MTL rivalry died when Paulrus got sacked. Cameron is as confrontational as vanilla ice cream, he stirred nothing up and the Habs had an easy go because of it. Don't really dislike anyone on the Habs now that Prust is gone.

It's TO. Their media, their fans, their average guys that turn into Sens killers, Kessel is now in Pitttsburgh so he'll still torch us, bleh.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

The MTL rivalry died when Paulrus got sacked. Cameron is as confrontational as vanilla ice cream, he stirred nothing up and the Habs had an easy go because of it. Don't really dislike anyone on the Habs now that Prust is gone.

It's TO. Their media, their fans, their average guys that turn into Sens killers, Kessel is now in Pitttsburgh so he'll still torch us, bleh.

I thought everyone freaked out because they thought he said he wanted players to injure montreal's guys after the subban slash. I dont think he meant that but it was pretty big stuff at the time. Cameron is also a pretty harsh coach from what i understand. When it comes to communication and talking he's nice but when it comes to practices and in game execution he's a firebrand.

 

[yogibear]

For myself, it will always be the Habs. Too many habsfans near me. I can count on my fingers the number of leafs fans that i know.

 

[pm88]

At the moment Montreal.. all of the games are always very intense and tempers are short when we play them. They still have clowns like Gallagher, Subban and Therrien always ready to pull some BS to get things riled up quickly. It's too bad that clown Prust is gone. I always used to enjoy watching him self destruct on the ice like a little boy and humiliate himself with his childish comments off the ice too.

All time has to be Toronto though mostly because of the fact that this team can never, ever seem to beat the Leafs in those high pressure games no matter how much the leafs may suck that year. Remember how we lost to them on back to back weekends this past season? And how we blew a 3 goal lead against them or something like that? Those losses nearly derailed the whole damn playoff push. It honestly feels like Toronto has some sort of mental hold over Ottawa when it comes to playing important games. I thought that would be gone after we got rid of everyone from those playoff failure years, and for a while it seemed like it was when we had Alfie, Spezza and Heatley around but it honestly feels like it's back to being even now. I'm glad they traded Kessel away but knowing our luck there's going to be some new guy who always finds a way to burn us whenever we play them. Guys like Kadri and JVR always seem to do well against us too

 

[Xamar*]

At the moment Montreal.. all of the games are always very intense and tempers are short when we play them. They still have clowns like Gallagher, Subban and Therrien always ready to pull some BS to get things riled up quickly. It's too bad that clown Prust is gone. I always used to enjoy watching him self destruct on the ice like a little boy and humiliate himself with his childish comments off the ice too.

All time has to be Toronto though mostly because of the fact that this team can never, ever seem to beat the Leafs in those high pressure games no matter how much the leafs may suck that year. Remember how we lost to them on back to back weekends this past season? And how we blew a 3 goal lead against them or something like that? Those losses nearly derailed the whole damn playoff push. It honestly feels like Toronto has some sort of mental hold over Ottawa when it comes to playing important games. I thought that would be gone after we got rid of everyone from those playoff failure years, and for a while it seemed like it was when we had Alfie, Spezza and Heatley around but it honestly feels like it's back to being even now. I'm glad they traded Kessel away but knowing our luck there's going to be some new guy who always finds a way to burn us whenever we play them. Guys like Kadri and JVR always seem to do well against us too

They clowned us when we had like a 12 game win streak or something to end our streak in 2010. Before that I remember right before the end of the 2006 season they lay a beatdown on us as well. 2008 till now they've dominated us after a brief few years of success 2005-2008.

 

[pm88]

They clowned us when we had like a 12 game win streak or something to end our streak in 2010. Before that I remember right before the end of the 2006 season they lay a beatdown on us as well. 2008 till now they've dominated us after a brief few years of success 2005-2008.

True and then all those times we made James Reimer look like Dominik Hasek in his prime whenever the Leafs used to play us too. He used to have an insane GAA against us for a stretch if I remember correctly. Even though I would be confident in Ottawa's chances against the Leafs in a playoff series it wouldn't take too much for a little bt of doubt to creep up in my mind if we were to fall behind in the series or something like that. It just seems they have a hold on us mentally for whatever reason even after all these years. I don't think Montreal has that type of affect on us at all.

 

[BK201]

all i can say is there will never be a time when i"m going to say " now i remember why i hate you ass****ers" with Montreal. Toronto is just a matter of time.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

I'm one of the weird ones who want to see Toronto relevant again, I want that Ottawa Toronto rivalry back and a shot at redemption.

 

[Samsquanch]

Still the leafs for me by a mile..

I HATE Montreal and their fans more than I do leafs fans though, if that makes any sense.

Living where I do in Sudbury, leafs fans are everywhere. Nothing hurts worse than a lose to the leafs. Making my way to my desk at work feels pretty much like a walk of shame.

I actually have a leafs hat at home that I have to wear after every lose

Its basically some kind of public shaming like the Cersei scene for the GoT fans out there

Anyways, the rivalry is still alive and strong for me with the leafs, and nothing makes me happier (and richer) than seeing the leafs bottom out each year.

And honestly, the idea of losing another playoff series to them is almost too much to take. Not sure how I would react, but it wouldn't be pretty for anyone...

 

[pm88]

They clowned us when we had like a 12 game win streak or something to end our streak in 2010. Before that I remember right before the end of the 2006 season they lay a beatdown on us as well. 2008 till now they've dominated us after a brief few years of success 2005-2008.

Sorry, meant to say when those guys were around we would usually be blasting Toronto by scores of 8-0 or similar to that with guys like Heatley having a field day against them, but I agree, they got us a few times during the days of those high flying Ottawa teams too.

Toronto just seems to have a hold on us and I don't know why

 

[aragorn]

I seem to dislike everything about Toronto while I like a number of Montreal female fans, especially the ones in jerseys.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Montreal until Toronto becomes decent again

As soon as Toronto becomes decent again we will go back to losing multiple key games against them

 

[pm88]

Montreal until Toronto becomes decent again

As soon as Toronto becomes decent again we will go back to losing multiple key games against them

I don't think I can handle losing another playoff series to the Leafs.

 

[Xamar*]

Sorry, meant to say when those guys were around we would usually be blasting Toronto by scores of 8-0 or similar to that with guys like Heatley having a field day against them, but I agree, they got us a few times during the days of those high flying Ottawa teams too.

Toronto just seems to have a hold on us and I don't know why

Yup how they're not undisputed number 1 on this poll confuses me.

 

[Inkling]

I think it's destined that it will always waver back and forth between Montreal and Toronto depending on everybody's form at the time. Given where we are geographically and how many fans of each team there are in the area, as well as the current playoff structure in the NHL, it doesn't take much for a rivalry to form with either team.

At the moment, I'd say Montreal but it's almost certain to be Toronto again at some point in the future.

The only think I'll add is that if Quebec gets its team back, then the Habs might end up looking towards there for a rival and if that happens, then Toronto might end up being it for us.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Yup how they're not undisputed number 1 on this poll confuses me.

I'd wager most of us don't interact with Toronto fans nearly as often as we do with Montreal fans

 

[cage]

The leafs are like our high school bully. I hate them. I just lose all confidence in the sens when they're playing the leafs and dread ever meeting up in the playoffs again