News Article: The Birth Of A Rival (Long-Read)

[moon111]

Comparing the fans, the players, and the comments when the Leafs played Washington to Boston in the playoffs, I would have to say Boston is definitely the rivalry. While I was cheering Washington on to win the Cup this year, I'm hoping Boston sinks into the ocean. Don't get me wrong, I think Toronto and Tampa Bay might clash, but it will be more of a classy clash like we had against Washington. Not the dirty cesspool that Boston showed itself to be.

 

[Brock Radunske]

I don't know that I'll ever truly hate any of these Southern teams. They just don't have enough fans to make it fun. There's nothing I'd like more than two shove a game 7 Victory down the throats of the Bruins

 

[The Magic Man]

Good read.

I think it's gonna be a 4 way war in the end with Boston and Buffalo. Our division is the one to watch for the next decade. It's gonna be fun. But Toronto and Tampa are the favorites for sure.

 

[Spirit of 67]

I keep expecting it to be Buffalo.
The geography is obvious.

But:
Matthews vs Eichel.
Nylander vs Nylander.
Kadri vs Risto.
Sabres fans vs Leafs fans (in Buffalo)
Babcock.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I would think that most people would still peg them as the best team in the Atlantic...the entire premise of this thread, at least from what I gathered, is that we'd be playing them in the 2nd round, which would mean either they win the Atlantic or we do. I don't think we're the favourites just yet.

Most people might peg TB as the team to beat, not me. As it stands now I think it's pretty much a tossup, we'll see what the rosters are in October. I think it's really important that we win the division, Boston is no joke and there is zero guarantee that we would beat them in the 1st round and if we lost to them, I'm not sure how I'd live through next summer.

 

[Leafsman]

I think you've definitely made a great case for a competitive rivalry against Tampa.

I just don't see that same low-down dirty hate-filled rivalry like the one against Boston.

I've always been quite fond of Tampa - I've liked their players since the St. Louis/LeCavalier days. I think it would take a solid 7-game dirty series to start swaying that fondness. Even then, it wouldn't match the disdain I have for Boston.

 

[Leafsman]

I keep expecting it to be Buffalo.
The geography is obvious.

But:
Matthews vs Eichel.
Nylander vs Nylander.
Kadri vs Risto.
Sabres fans vs Leafs fans (in Buffalo)
Babcock.

Yep! I could definitely get a hate-on for Buffalo should they start reaching their potential and become competitive.

 

[Spirit of 67]

Yep! I could definitely get a hate-on for Buffalo should they start reaching their potential and become competitive.

Well that's just it. There can't be a heated rivlary while one of them is a tire fire.

 

[Le Cobra]

Andersen is nowhere near as good as Vasilevsky (in the playoffs).

 

[Its not your fault]

And not even a single mention of the Shanahan/Babcock/Yzerman connections, or the jersey ripoff!

I almost find Florida is starting to remind me of Ottawas jerseys.