charliolemieux
rsTmf
- Apr 1, 2010
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What former hot rivalries do you miss?
- Thread starter charliolemieux
- Start date
Buck Aki Berg
Done with this place
David Bruce Banner
Nude Cabdriver Ban
The Canadiens-Red Wings rivalry that existed when I started watching NHL hockey in 1953. Two dynasty teams, the greatest ever seen to that point, with the Canadiens eventually eclipsing the Wings as the best ever. I guess it's so long ago that you could argue I'm no longer entitled to miss it.
Big Phil
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- Nov 2, 2003
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Not that it doesn't still have some juice but Canada/Russia games from the 1980s when the commies were more hated and still a mystery
How about Domi vs. Probert? This rivalry carried on regardless of which team each player was playing with. This often overshadowed the actual game
Edmonton vs. Calgary. It is crazy really when you think of it. The last time these two had a classic playoff series was 1991 and it was a gem. Since then there has been one - count it - one time the two of them played in the playoffs at the same time and this was 2006 and they still didn't play each other.
I'd love to have fond nostalgia about Gretzky vs. Lemieux (and I still do) but we have Crosby and Ovechkin and right now and to tell you the truth I think this one is even better because they play each other more often, they are healthy, and they are more physical with each other on the ice
How about Domi vs. Probert? This rivalry carried on regardless of which team each player was playing with. This often overshadowed the actual game
Edmonton vs. Calgary. It is crazy really when you think of it. The last time these two had a classic playoff series was 1991 and it was a gem. Since then there has been one - count it - one time the two of them played in the playoffs at the same time and this was 2006 and they still didn't play each other.
I'd love to have fond nostalgia about Gretzky vs. Lemieux (and I still do) but we have Crosby and Ovechkin and right now and to tell you the truth I think this one is even better because they play each other more often, they are healthy, and they are more physical with each other on the ice
tony d
New poll series coming from me on June 3
Toronto and Ottawa still meet each other on a regular basis but it doesn't have the same energy as it did before the lockout.
Psycho Papa Joe
Porkchop Hoser
Habs/Nords
Isles/Oilers
Habs/Leafs (it just ain't the same anymore. They need to have a playoff series together)
Habs/Maroons
Isles/Oilers
Habs/Leafs (it just ain't the same anymore. They need to have a playoff series together)
Habs/Maroons
Marotte Marauder
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- Aug 10, 2008
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Buck Aki Berg
Done with this place
But, but, but the media plays it up - it's not a REEEEAL rivalry!!
Seriously, when did it stop being okay to look forward to the occasions when the top two players in the league went head-to-head?
brianscot
Registered User
Any two teams from the old Adams Division.
Especially Boston and Hartford so I can hear that stupid brass bonanza playing and be driven insane.
Especially Boston and Hartford so I can hear that stupid brass bonanza playing and be driven insane.
I grew up in the Adams and agree that just about every matchup was great. Such a tremendous amount of bad blood, born of all the playoff series against one another.
Presuming you're not old enough to have seen the Maroons, how can you miss a rivalry that ceased to exist before you were even born?
Psycho Papa Joe
Porkchop Hoser
It was meant as a joke. But that said, image the street wars in today's Montreal hockey climate. There are riots over a series win, image what would happen if the Habs and Maroons met in the playoffs, LOL!
Rhiessan71
Just a Fool
Some before my time, but
Lafleur / Bossy (Whose the best right winger?)
Howe / Richard (Same as above)
Bruins / Habs 1950s to today
Espo brothers going at it! Wow! you had one of the best centers vs one of the best forwards!
Calgary / Vancouver (Shame they have me only three times from 89 till today. They always BRING IT!)
And there are others to, that don't get talked about much, or media hyped. But I feel they were intense:
Boston / NY Rangers 1969/70 to 1972/73 (Wow! You'd NEVER think Phil Esposito would someday be a Ranger, eh?)
Edmonton / Chicago 1982/83 to 1991/92 (Wanna know why the Hawks fans get fired up to this day when they sing that National Anthem?)
Lafleur / Bossy (Whose the best right winger?)
Howe / Richard (Same as above)
Bruins / Habs 1950s to today
Espo brothers going at it! Wow! you had one of the best centers vs one of the best forwards!
Calgary / Vancouver (Shame they have me only three times from 89 till today. They always BRING IT!)
And there are others to, that don't get talked about much, or media hyped. But I feel they were intense:
Boston / NY Rangers 1969/70 to 1972/73 (Wow! You'd NEVER think Phil Esposito would someday be a Ranger, eh?)
Edmonton / Chicago 1982/83 to 1991/92 (Wanna know why the Hawks fans get fired up to this day when they sing that National Anthem?)
mrhockey193195
Registered User
Wings-Avs (definitely my number 1)
Montreal-Quebec
Flyers-Penguins from the late 90s (Lindros/Leclair vs. Lemieux/Jagr)
Montreal-Quebec
Flyers-Penguins from the late 90s (Lindros/Leclair vs. Lemieux/Jagr)
Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
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But, but, but the media plays it up - it's not a REEEEAL rivalry!!
Seriously, when did it stop being okay to look forward to the occasions when the top two players in the league went head-to-head?
Are there people who think this rivalry is overhyped? It sure isn't. The media plays it up but they certainly don't have to. These guys entered the NHL the exact same season, they battled for rookie of the year, they have played in one of the most exciting playoff series of all-time and they've had some trash talk towards each other (to an extent) off the ice. This is flat out a natural rivalry, and it's only 5 years old. Shame on the people that think the media makes a big issue of it (I know you were being sarcastic though)
Isles/Rangers among those that haven't been listed. Just doesn't seem like Lafontaine's ambo would get rocked as he left the arena these days....
charliolemieux
rsTmf
- Apr 1, 2010
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- 53
It's only like if Lemieux had been drafted by STL. Only Sid and Ovy don't have to wait to the conference finals to meet. (Which is good or bad, take your pick)
Sorry.
Quebec and MTL was insane. I loved that there was a hunter brother on each team, and they could have 4-5 bench clearing brawls in a 7 game series.
The late 80's BOA(Battle of Alberta), was like the late 90's Av's-Wings only more intense. It was basically the two best teams in the league in the 1st or 2nd rnd for years, due to the playoff format.
Even though I miss the old Norris Div. rivalies more, the three I mentioned above were special.
Not trying to troll, but if OTT had won one or two of the series against the Leafs that rivalry could have been a special one.
John Flyers Fan
Registered User
Buck Aki Berg
Done with this place
Maybe I'm giving too much of a voice to the kiddies at HF who take everything Bettman says or does and runs with it in the opposite direction, but there was a lot of talk about "Well, I won't be watching the Winter Classic this year since it will just be a Sid/Ovie lovefest", same with two years ago with people going out of their way to not watch the Pens/Caps series.
Again, I may be silly for assuming that the opinions of some of these clowns actually carries over to the three dimensional world, but it still seems like, somewhere along the way, it stopped being okay to like a good player or team, lest you be labelled a bandwagonner.
I agree that a more balanced outcome over the four series would have definitely made it special, but it was still pretty awesome to be in on. As crushing as some of those defeats were (crapping the bed in game 5 in 2000 with a late goal in regulation, crapping the bed in game 6 in 2002 with a stupid penalty, crapping the bed in game 7 in 2004 with floor-hockey-calibre goaltending), it was still a very exciting brand of hockey.
