Who is each team’s biggest rival?

[Anisimovs AK]

It is because your team has had ex Flyers, and Rangers.

Honestly why.

Playoff series had nothing to do with it? Just Hartnell and Duby?

Okay sure

 

[Not So Mighty]

Right now, I have to say Nashville for Anaheim. And despite their dominance over us, the feeling seems to be mutual. I notice a ton of hate from Perds fans [sic]. LA/Anaheim games have actually been pretty intense in recent seasons, so something is brewing there... but I would genuinely rather see LA win a third Cup than ever see Nashville win their first.

 

[Lshap]

So you don't notice how fans get up for the good rivalries outside of the playoffs?
The decent rivalries like Calgary vs Edmonton, Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia, L.A vs Anaheim etc. don't need their games to be in the playoffs to get people pumped because those teams are legit rivals.
Just because teams face each other in the postseason doesn't make them rivals otherwise there would be 15 rivalries created every single playoff. Unless of course some of those playoff matches were repeats at some point in history, i guess.
People can consider every opponent a rivalry if they choose to. I don't.

"Decent" regular season rivalries aren't worth nearly as much as the strong, intense, longstanding rivalries which are grown in the playoffs. Every team meets every other team during the regular season, but every team doesn't have 30 rivals. That's because very few meetings ever come close to the sustained battle of seeing the same guys four to seven times in a row in a series. Multiply that over a few series and you have what every fan here recognizes as a real rivalry. That's playoff hockey, man. Nuthin' like it!

Look at your own fanbase reactions -- most Leafs fans would consider Boston a main rival. Why? Because the Bruins beat the Leafs in playoff series.

 

[gtrower]

Capitals and Penguins are each others biggest rivals. Not sure who Wash biggest beef is after that?

For a few years there the Caps/Rangers were settling into some good mutual hate. Nobody else in the division has been good enough to really hate after those 2.

Caps/Pens is probably the premier rivalry in the league right now, but Ovi/Crosby really drive that one so it fill fall back after they’re gone.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Well we have the Ducks, Sharks, Knights, and Flames.

Not really sure who's our biggest rival though.

The Kings' biggest rival is the rulebook.

 

[BatVader]

Montreal - Boston
Toronto - Ottawa
Pittsburgh - Philly
Edmonton - Chirelli

 

[valeriammm]

I think the preds biggest rivals are currently The Jets and Hawks. But personally I would rather my team lose to both just to have a single win over the da*n Pens. God I hate Pittsburgh

 

[puckIuck]

leafs' main rival is their defence

 

[valeriammm]

Right now, I have to say Nashville for Anaheim. And despite their dominance over us, the feeling seems to be mutual. I notice a ton of hate from Perds fans [sic]. LA/Anaheim games have actually been pretty intense in recent seasons, so something is brewing there... but I would genuinely rather see LA win a third Cup than ever see Nashville win their first.

I do feel like there is some rivalry with the Ducks. I remember being in Downtown Disney in Anaheim during the playoffs a couple years ago wearing my preds shirt, and some family of Ducks fans wearing full on gear came over and heckled me for watching the game being broadcasted on a TV. I personally didnt and dont care for the team, honestly just glad to see hockey fans in the wild especially in California, but those were some rude fans.

 

[bukwas]

"Decent" regular season rivalries aren't worth nearly as much as the strong, intense, longstanding rivalries which are grown in the playoffs. Every team meets every other team during the regular season, but every team doesn't have 30 rivals. That's because very few meetings ever come close to the sustained battle of seeing the same guys four to seven times in a row in a series. Multiply that over a few series and you have what every fan here recognizes as a real rivalry. That's playoff hockey, man. Nuthin' like it!

I agree that when rivals meet in the playoffs they go to a new level but that has nothing to do with the post you quoted, correct?

 

[KingsHockey24]

In summary many teams dislike the Kings.

 

[Beauner]

Capitals and Penguins are each others biggest rivals. Not sure who Wash biggest beef is after that?

For a few years there the Caps/Rangers were settling into some good mutual hate. Nobody else in the division has been good enough to really hate after those 2.

Caps/Pens is probably the premier rivalry in the league right now, but Ovi/Crosby really drive that one so it fill fall back after they’re gone.

I (and probably the team as well) will always dispise the Flyers much more than the Capitals (as a whole). The recent playoff series certainly have turned things up a notch but Pens-Flyers is like, the default rivalry.

Don't get me wrong, Washington is firmly #2 and has been more high-profile recently. There's just something about that side of the state though...

 

[alg363636]

Montreal is Boston's for sure. It's fairly quiet at the moment since Montreal sucks but it's always there. Itll be back.

Toronto is more just annoying than a rival. Like the bug you keep swatting away while its buzzing in your ear. Easy to kill though when necessary.

 

[Lshap]

I agree that when rivals meet in the playoffs they go to a new level but that has nothing to do with the post you quoted, correct?

Quite the opposite. I responded directly to your post about rivalries not requiring playoffs. We can debate what you meant by "Decent" rivalries, but this thread specifies the "Biggest" rivalries, in which case, yes, you need a playoff series.

 

[bukwas]

Quite the opposite.

We certainly disagree that you followed the conversation you jumped in on accurately.

 

[Lshap]

We certainly disagree that you followed the conversation you jumped in on accurately.

In a thread about teams' biggest rivals you stated:

Do you notice intense interest when the teams meet outside of a playoff matchup? A decent rivalry doesn't require a postseason meeting to get people pumped.

And I responded:

Um... yes, a rivalry does require post-season meetings. That's where rivalries count.

You're free to disagree with me, but that's an on-point response.

 

[bukwas]

In a thread about teams' biggest rivals you stated:


And I responded:

You're free to disagree with me, but that's an on-point response.

No, it is not on point with somebody stating you met a team in the playoffs therefore they are your rival, which is where the conversation you included yourself in was at, at the time.

 

[Jee]

Boston is Montréal's biggest rival AINEC. Toronto is more like the annoying little brother. Ottawa is irrelevant.

 

[Mez]

Canada vs Toronto.

 

[Lshap]

No, it is not on point with somebody stating you met a team in the playoffs therefore they are your rival, which is where the conversation you included yourself in was at, at the time.

We both know you're arguing just to argue. Direct quotes:

"A decent rivalry doesn't require a post-season meeting"
"Um... yes, a rivalry does require a post-season meeting."

Come on now.

(I was just about to politely duck out when my wife asked me go to IKEA. Honestly, I'm now considering staying here and continuing to fight with you...!)

 

[BrokenFace]

For the Blues it has to be either the Blackhawks or God. Toss up

 

[Jee]

Canada vs Toronto.

You're not that important.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

CHI - STL?
STL - CHI?

You can definitely drop the question marks from Chicago and STL.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Historically it's still Boston. And I will say Boston is worse than the Nords too. Everything that happened with the Nords happened with the Bruins...only a hell of a lot more times.

Family members stopped speaking to each other over the Habs-Nords rivalry. Not the case with Boston.
And Montreal had won 18 straight series against Boston over a span of 40 years... not much of a rivalry historically speaking compared with Toronto. It doesn't take anything away however that the Habs-Bruins rivalry has been a pretty good one the last few decades.

 

[BlueDream]

For the Kings: Sharks, Ducks, Flames, and Knights. I generally think all the CA teams, the Flames, and knights just really hate each other.

Pacific games are actually really fun to watch because of this. Lots of rivalries going on in that division.

For the Blues it's definitely Chicago and Nashville.