Are the Bruins now the Leafs biggest rival?

[zar]

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.

I know.. that's why I "liked" your response.

Believe me, after experiencing the Oilers/Ducks series a couple years ago.... which in my opinion to this day was one of the worst I've ever seen (from an Oiler's fans perspective)... I totally understand the frustration.

I agree... game 2 was a gong show... I would have had no problems with Kadri going after DeBrusk... he deserved it, but cross checking him in the face? He could have done so many other "smarter" things than he did. Anyways.... that has been beat to death.

Frankly, I am disappointed in the intensity of this series since Game 2.... at this point, I don't see how either one of these teams competes with the Blue Jackets.

As a hockey fan, I hope they turn up the heat in Game 6.

 

[Seras]

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

Yeah I wish other fan bases complained about the reffing once in awhile geez!

 

[Over the volcano]

Yeah I wish other fan bases complained about the reffing once in awhile geez!

That’s the difference right there - others do it “once in a while”.

 

[Derp Kassian]

Leafs gotta win this series for it to be a rivalry finally... losing 3 playoff series in the decade is just a shitkicking lil brother scenario

 

[Plante]

It's Toronto and Bruins now, but it'll change if the leafs and habs play each other in the playoffs even once.

 

[oooooooooohCanada]

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.

The refs called nothing on Boston all of game 5 and they let Boston's goal count when it was offsides. Also the NHL literally disciplined the refs for game 2.. so like cmon now.

 

[93LEAFS]

It's Leafs/Habs and always will be. Those were the teams of English Canada and French Canada. The others are just temporary flare-ups (like Ottawa/Leafs in the early 00's).

 

[nhlfan9191]

It's Leafs/Habs and always will be. Those were the teams of English Canada and French Canada. The others are just temporary flare-ups (like Ottawa/Leafs in the early 00's).

There is no English Canada vs French Canada flare up. And any other of the 6 teams in Canada could represent that anyways. Our biggest rival in the league right now is Boston and we used to have a great one with the Nordiques. There’s zero hate with Toronto. The media tries to make it bigger then it is for Hockey Night in Canada ratings.

 

[Seras]

That’s the difference right there - others do it “once in a while”.

All the other fan bases have the same number of fans too so that excuse hardly works

 

[aufheben]

Shit the Rangers are probably bigger rivals with the Habs than the Leafs.

 

[Morgs]

All 3 teams are rivals with eachother.

Yup, this. Like it's pretty obvious each team's biggest two rivals are the other two.

As much as Boston fans would probably like to say it's a one-sided rivalry with us haha.

 

[Spirit of 67]

Nope.

 

[Morgs]

There is no English Canada vs French Canada flare up. And any other of the 6 teams in Canada could represent that anyways. Our biggest rival in the league right now is Boston and we used to have a great one with the Nordiques. There’s zero hate with Toronto. The media tries to make it bigger then it is for Hockey Night in Canada ratings.

It'll come back full-circle when we play in the playoffs. Already had some heated games this season.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Them and the Habs have always been the Leafs' rivals for a long time. If anything Boston is both the second rival to Montreal and Toronto.

Boston's biggest rival is the New York Rangers.

Chicago's was Detroit. Separating their divisions is what killed it, for now anyway.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Them and the Habs have always been the Leafs' rivals for a long time. If anything Boston is both the second rival to Montreal and Toronto.

Boston's biggest rival is the New York Rangers.

Chicago's was Detroit. Separating their divisions is what killed it, for now anyway.

what are your babbling about? Boston's biggest rival is montreal and vice versa, not the rangers

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Them and the Habs have always been the Leafs' rivals for a long time. If anything Boston is both the second rival to Montreal and Toronto.

Boston's biggest rival is the New York Rangers.

Chicago's was Detroit. Separating their divisions is what killed it, for now anyway.

The Rangers? What?

 

[Goose]

As a (younger but not young) Leafs fan there is no rivalry with the Habs outside of what we’ve inherited from previous generations. Had it been Leafs/Habs in 93 instead of Kings/Habs maybe that would have started it.

Bruins have brought more pain to the Leafs over the past decade than any other team, by a long mile. Closest thing to a rivalry the modern Leafs have.

The Bruins have done to us over the past decade what we used to do to the Sens it feels like, though Leafs/Sens never really felt like all that serious of a rivalry.

 

[Zestfule]

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.

The TOR/BOS current rivalry seems between fans, those MTL/BOS series and games were a player rivalry. That means so much more, in my opinion. These teams are best friends compared to those BOS/MTL teams with Kom and Lucic, etc.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

To be honest, it's hard to have a great rivalry with the Leafs when one team has won ten Stanley Cups since the first expansion and the other one zero.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

what are your babbling about? Boston's biggest rival is montreal and vice versa, not the rangers

Well what I'm saying is the Habs biggest rival is not the Bruins, it's the Leafs. Bruins are second for both Canadian Original Six teams if anything.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

Well what I'm saying is the Habs biggest rival is not the Bruins, it's the Leafs. Bruins are second for both Canadian Original Six teams if anything.

What? The Bruins are clearly our biggest rival since the old days of Maurice Richard. Leafs are second.

 

[Cotton]

Considering the Habs had a poll where about 75% of the voters support Boston winning over Toronto I think that speaks about who Habs fans hate more.

And in Bruins GDT's you'll often come across posts about how they hate the Leafs more than the Habs now.

From a Leafs perspective, Boston could never come close to the Habs, but our rivals arent even in the post season (Ottawa and Buffalo, Montreal and even Detroit). Boston may be a rival but it's not like the players hate each other, and it doesnt exist outside of the post season... every one of those potential series with Ott, Mtl, Buf and Det would blow whatever we have going on with Boston right out of the water in entertainment value and animosity.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I always thought it was Leafs/Habs hating each other. But I do know Boston/Montreal have worse blood, just believe it to be Toronto because they go way... back, talking before the Bruins were in the same league as both of them.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Leafs gotta win this series for it to be a rivalry finally... losing 3 playoff series in the decade is just a ****kicking lil brother scenario

Agree completely. They will never earn the respect of the Bruins and their fans losing. It's just beating on your little brother. Leafs have to show they can stand up to their brother in order for them to start really giving a shit.

I think if we can beat them even Bruins fans will start to hate Leafs as much as Habs fans.

 

[ToDavid]

I think there's always going to be different types of rivals. There are long-term, historical rivals and there are your current rival. I think the Leafs and Bruins are absolutely huge rivals right now and will be battling at the top of the Atlantic for probably at least 5 more years. I'm not sure that means the Leafs replace the Habs as a Bruins rival, I think it's just a different type of rival.