Are the Bruins now the Leafs biggest rival?

[GoBuds14]

Yep, Leafs fans all act like if the Toronto Maple Leafs are the Montreal Canadiens aka the greatest and more storied franchise ever. But Toronto can't rival Montreal, the mecca of hockey.

That’s interesting, from what I’ve gathered most Leaf fans recognize Montreal as the most storied franchise (unless they’re a meat head haha). The Mecca of hockey is kind of both Toronto and Montreal really, no doubt Toronto area produces the most hockey players and largest fan base, that being said Montreal isn’t to far behind in that regard and their tradition/history is far superior

 

[iCanada]

Seems a touch one sided to call it a rivalry, imo.

 

[Stickpucker]

Bruins aren't their rival.

They're their daddy.



....Leaves need to wait for Daddy to get old then give him a whooping.

Almost there.

 

[holy]

Toronto is more like the Dubai of hockey. Montreal is the Mecca.

Ottawa is some run down slum.

 

[Price is Wright]

You can have more than one rival and you can have traditional rivals and modern rivals.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I think I’ve been a Bruins fan long enough to speak authoritatively on this.

The Bruins biggest rivals are the Montreal Canadiens. Hands down no question. Any fan who has been watching since before 2013 knows this.

Too long a time.
Too many series.
Too much bad blood.

Maple Leafs fans may hate the Bruins, and vice versa, but just because three series have reached Game 7, it doesn’t move the Maple Leafs ahead of the Habs on the hatred spectrum. Oh, I’m afraid it’s going to take a little more than that.

I hate the Canadiens more than the Yankees, Lakers, and (NY) Jets combined. The Leafs aren’t even the NHL team I hate SECOND most.

The Maple Leafs need to win a few championships at the Bruins expense, go a few decades without losing a playoff series to the Bruins, and do it all in soul crushing fashion before we can even THINK of discussing the Leafs as a bigger rival.

How Toronto fans view the Bruins is their business. I don’t intend to make it mine. But this is just one Boston fan’s perspective.

Make of it what you please.

Speaking as a Maple Leafs fan I still consider Montreal to be a bigger rival from a historical aspect and Ottawa because they play in the same province and Toronto has four previous playoff series wins against them, along with the fact Leafs fans take over their arena when playing them on the road.

On a personal level the only thing I hate about Boston is how the city itself keeps winning professional sports championships.

There is the Red Sox's winning the World Series in 2004, 2007, 2013 & 2018.

The Patriots winning Super Bowl 36, 38, 39, 49, 51 & 53.

Bruins winning the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Celtics winning the NBA Championship in 2008.

There are also the times when the Patriots lost Super Bowl's 42, 46 & 52.

Bruins lost in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.

Celtics lost the 2010 NBA Finals.

So if they manage to win all those championships that they lost, think how much more the city of Boston has won since 2001 that started with the Patriots.

 

[rfournier103]

On a personal level the only thing I hate about Boston is how the city itself keeps winning professional sports championships.

There is the Red Sox's winning the World Series in 2004, 2007, 2013 & 2018.

The Patriots winning Super Bowl 36, 38, 39, 49, 51 & 53.

Bruins winning the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Celtics winning the NBA Championship in 2008.

There are also the times when the Patriots lost Super Bowl's 42, 46 & 52.

Bruins lost in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.

Celtics lost the 2010 NBA Finals.

So if they manage to win all those championships that they lost, think how much more the city of Boston has won since 2001 that started with the Patriots.

Do you know anything about Boston sports prior to 2001? Things were actually pretty crappy here for a while. I’d say this run of success is just evening out all the lousy years before 2001.

If you want more detail, I’ll be happy to oblige you. I’m actually old enough to remember what life was like before, and I NEVER take this for granted.

 

[kihei]

For older fans like myself, Montreal will always be the nostalgic #1 rival. But, realistically Boston is the arch-rival now. Of course there is no such thing as a rivalry if one team keeps winning all the important match ups, so there is that to chew on.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Do you know anything about Boston sports prior to 2001? Things were actually pretty crappy here for a while. I’d say this run of success is just evening out all the lousy years before 2001.

If you want more detail, I’ll be happy to oblige you. I’m actually old enough to remember what life was like before, and I NEVER take this for granted.

I'm just not the only one who is sick of seeing Boston teams winning major sports championships.

 

[rfournier103]

I'm just not the only one who is sick of seeing Boston teams winning major sports championships.

Fair enough.

In fairness though, before 2001, we were pretty sick of NOT winning sports championships.

 

[Aceboogie]

It is really a rivalry if its so one sided?

 

[dukeofjive]

The leafs where my dads hated team, i started watching hockey in the 70s, so boston in my books is the true habs rivals, well if the habs make the playoffs.

 

[Barnum]

Fair enough.

In fairness though, before 2001, we were pretty sick of NOT winning sports championships.

What we had was a lot of heartbreaks especially when it came to the Sox and Bruins. As someone that has followed the Pats since (I can just remember) Jim Plunkett as QB, we just plain outright sucked until 2001, laughingstock of the NFL. Celts were always there, even in the lean years for everyone else, the Celts would manage to win Championships.

Only the NYC metro area has more championships than Boston, and they have 2 teams per sport there sometimes 3. We are blessed and lucky and we should never forget it.

 

[Pyrophorus]

It is really a rivalry if its so one sided?

In series wins, but not really so one sided

 

[Pyrophorus]

The Leafs don't have one. It would be more Buffalo or Ottawa.