Are the Bruins now the Leafs biggest rival?

[Maestro84]

The habs will always be Boston’s biggest rival without a doubt but I’m starting to think the B’s are now becoming the Leafs ultimate rival instead of Montreal. They’ve now engaged in three really close, physical and hard fought series in the last 6 years, while the leafs and habs haven’t met in a playoff series for over 40 years now and are never good at the same time.

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[Leaf19]

You’re starting to think that now? Who else have the Leafs faced 3 times in their last 4 playoff series with 2 going to game 7 and the latest going to at least game 6?

 

[RealisticLeaf55]

Stating the obvious. Habs have no direction and Ottawa is going to be a dumpster fire for a while.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Habs haven't been our biggest rival in decades. Its Boston clearly.

 

[HanSolo]

Pretty much.

 

[Barrie22]

pretty much has been that way since the leafs left the western conference and joined the eastern conference.

 

[OVO16]

I mean I guess

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

When the Habs were good, Leafs sucked, now the Leafs are good, Habs are bad (or not on the same level as the Leafs at the moment), they haven't been good at the same time since a long time.

 

[GKJ]

It's always a generational discussion when you're talking about multiple teams and there's an obvious recency bias as this is a current rival. The way a fan sees their biggest rival most often is likely to be linked to who they hated the most when they were growing up with the team and/or who they met most often in the playoffs.

 

[bert]

Hard for the leafs to have another rival considering the lack of playoff series against anyone else since 2004. So the answer is yes, I dont think they are Bostons biggest rival though.

It wasnt Montreal before it was Ottawa but that has clearly passed. A habs leafs playoff series would be great to get the rivalry back.

 

[dubey]

You’re starting to think that now? Who else have the Leafs faced 3 times in their last 4 playoff series with 2 going to game 7 and the latest going to at least game 6?

OP just woke from a coma

 

[Territory]

All 3 teams are rivals with eachother.

 

[613Leafer]

Leafs haven't played the Habs in the playoffs in what, like 40 years?

Leafs had 4 playoff series against Ottawa in the late 90s/ early 2000s, and more recently three series against Boston (feuled even more by the Kessel trade).

For anyone under ~45, those stick out WAY more than anything with Montreal. The Montreal rivalry for people my age only exists because older people tell us it exists, we've never actually seen a legitimate on - ice rivalry.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Had we been decent when the habs were...or the habs decent now.

There is no matching Leaf vs Hab hate.... when both have something on the line.

If it were Montreal waiting for one of Boston /Toronto
...the storyline would be bonkers

 

[LeafsNation75]

Leafs had 4 playoff series against Ottawa in the late 90s/ early 2000s, and more recently three series against Boston (feuled even more by the Kessel trade).

I think it's fair to say only their 2013 playoff series with the Bruins was fueled because of the Kessel trade. Last year and this year the trade has not been brought up.

 

[G0AT]

Haven't we known this for a while?

 

[Over the volcano]

Judging by posts on this site it looks like the Leafs biggest rivals are the boys in stripes.

 

[Cor]

Rivalries go through peaks and valley's.

Right now it's Boston as #1. From 05-12, it's pretty hard to have a top rival, as we sucked. I suppose Buffalo? Then it was a mix of Ottawa, New Jersey, Philly and Montreal. Then we get into the weird part where the Leafs were in the Western Conference lmao

So yeah, Boston and Toronto I would argue are each other's top rival currently. Next year, that could start to change.

 

[bobholly39]

I'm a Habs fan and i can't wait to see Tor/Mtl in the playoffs. I'm actually happy to see Toronto doing well.

I loved through many Boston/Montreal rivalries in the past 15 years or so (i feel as though they were better than Leafs/Boston but maybe that's just my bias) - but I think Tor/Montreal could be that much better still. I hope it happens multiple times in the next few years - would be great for the league.

 

[hoglund]

Rivalries change over the years. In the 60's and 70's it was Monteal, in the 80s and 90s it was Detroit, in the 2000s it was Ottawa and the last 5 years it's Boston. The hate of Montreal makes them my biggest rivalry. Growing up they won 7 cups in the 70's and them and their fans were arrogant. Rivalries is a generational thing.

 

[zar]

 

[zar]

As a "biggest rival" question, ask yourself this....

If a genie came up to you and said "OK, your team is going to be in the the Stanley Cup final and they are going to win in a Game 7 OT win in a highly emotional series... who do you want your opponent to be?" That team is your team's biggest rival.

 

[VL]

As a "biggest rival" question, ask yourself this....

If a genie came up to you and said "OK, your team is going to be in the the Stanley Cup final and they are going to win in a Game 7 OT win in a highly emotional series... who do you want your opponent to be?" That team is your team's biggest rival.

We're beating the refs in game 7? How would that even work?

 

[zar]

We're beating the refs in game 7? How would that even work?

NHL gave Kadri a light suspension and also handed the Leafs Game 5, so I am not sure why you are so upset with the league/officials... and I do not have a horse in that race.

 

[VL]

NHL gave Kadri a light suspension and also handed the Leafs Game 5, so I am not sure why you are so upset with the league/officials... and I do not have a horse in that race.

Just having a bit of fun since you specified "biggest rival".

Were it not for the disgraceful level of officiating in game 2 turning a blind eye to all infractions from one team, Kadri likely wouldn't have been frustrated to the point where he felt it necessary to mete out vigils justice, sparing himself a suspension in the first place.

There's also the fact that a fast, skilled team like the Leafs came in dead last in power play opportunities this season and it's not too much of a stretch to imagine why a fan would joke about the refs being our greatest rivals/opponents.