After one season in the East, who do you think is Detroit's biggest rival?

[Fugu]

Honestly I don't even view Chicago as a real rival. Even last year it didn't feel special to me. In the past decade, Anaheim and SJ were much better rivals IMO.

We really don't have one right now.

Yeah, Chicago was so bad during most of the years when the Wings were in the West and top contenders. Vancouver, Colorado, St Louis and Dallas for a time, then Anaheim. I always considered Toronto the biggest 'traditional' rival.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

For me the same team it has been my whole life, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

I dont even feel toronto is a rival they are like the redheaded step child in the north that cant get to the playoffs or if they do really mess up in playoffs. I honestly do not take seriously any canadian teams haha.

Anyway figure we are tops boston cause of main reason RASK can cause us problems for now but we are coming and tampa is gonna be in equation. Sure one canadian team might get into mix but I find it hard to take any of them serious long term or now.

Rivalries are built by playoff wins and losses to me. Just cause I dont like a style or play or a team or a city does not make them a rivalry to me.

A team beats us one time is 8 years in playoffs when they shouldnt have probably? That is not a rivalry. Our last rivalry before chicago stepped up to me was colorado.

now is some mini things we lost to calgary a couple times between 2002 to 2008 we beat chicago one year than lost last year san jose beat us twice in a row. Etc..

Those are beginning of rivalries.

Am unsure how feel about boston since dislike them as much as ever have say toronto who just is a mess to me lol so they no longer are in equation at all hahaa figure they will keep blowing it whatever happens

Boston is probably the rivalry but who really figured with all injuries everything else we could make that a series?

To me you have to have the pain of defeat and the joy of winning to really feel like a rivalry and that has to be into the mix a couple times in a short time frame 5-10 years tops.

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

I would say Ottawa was our most heated games last year. If we have another year of those types of games I could see them becoming a big rival.

We took Alfredsson, Franzen and Neil getting into it. So there's off ice stuff as well

 

[sakei]

I think Ottawa is making a good run. Between Alfredsson, and Cowen elbowing Datsyuk, the Neil/Smith fight, and the Neil/Franzen verbal jabs and everything. I ended up really not liking them. Boston was nothing until we met in the Playoffs and then everything soured with Marchand and Lucic.

Exactly my thoughts. BOS was really intense too, but imo that was only the playoff battle.