Who is each team’s biggest rival?

[Ghetty Green]

I guess it’s currently Nashville or St. Louis...

But the last rivalry I really cared about, where every game was ‘clear your schedule, turn off your phone, must watch’ viewing was the Kings. Cause that felt...bigger.

It was like ‘you are the one team capable of standing in our way. You are the one obstacle to cementing our legacy, and putting our stamp on this decade as OUR decade. You have the chance to take what we want and make it yours instead’.

When the stakes are historical legacy, when its about best of the best, about who gets remembered most clearly decades from now, it means more than ‘oh, the teams get in scrums after the whistles and their fans are obnoxious’.

But I dont think either roster ever had a bad thing to say to each other. There wasnt much hate. Just respect and laser focus. Both teams in 2014 admitted they circled the other as the guys they had to get past to get the cup, and had done so as early as the all-star break. Imagine playing half a season with absolute certainty about who you were gonna go to war with in crunch time. Like everything up to that inevitability is just...preamble.

The 2014 WCF is arguably the best series of the 2000s

 

[Quickdraw2828]

Canada vs Toronto.

And that's why, and I'm not just saying this because I'm an Islanders fan, there probably isn't a single scenario that would make more people happy here than the Leafs s***ing the bed this season.

 

[DaveG]

:

qualifying for the playoffs

 

[Deegee]

Dave Staples Versus Rational Thought is one of the greatest rivalries going today.

I am curious how teams feel that don't really have a rival. Reading the post by the Hurricane fan early in the thread said it all, as there was almost desperation to pick a team.

As a Flames fan I hate Oilers fans (so ignorant and think they have a contending team with one of the worst defense groups today), but the team doesn't really bother me. I do hate Vancouver more. Recent puke like players like Cooke, Kesler, and Bieksa are what do it for me. I am so glad Bieksa and Kesler have never won the cup. It makes me happy to see them lose.

 

[Docgonzo]

For the Kings I feel main rival right now is San Jose, lots of playoff series with them. Coyotes were there but with Doan and Smith gone I feel that’s done. Flames is starting with the Doughty/Tkachuk rivalry. Depending on how it goes we’ll see about the Knights, feel that’s fans vs fans for now.

The biggest surprise to me is Anaheim, before it was always fans vs fans and the players seemed to get along. But now with the AHL teams both being out west the prospects are possibly playing each other for 1-3 years before they’re even in the NHL and then once they’re in the NHL the rivalry is already there.

 

[Whiston532]

Success...

 

[Choralone]

Sharks for sure. Lot's of bad blood between the teams and the fans, plus the whole Northern vs Southern California thing on top (North hates South, South is indifferent to the North). For me personally, I don't have a thing against the Ducks any more. I think Vegas is 2nd to San Jose now for bad blood now.

 

[GoSenatorsGo]

As a Sens fan, I’d say Toronto or Montreal, but I also consider Pittsburgh up there for us, numerous playoff meetings and some heated, finger chopping regular season games .
I’d also say Buffalo, but both teams have had such a clear out of roster players over the years it’s a nothing rivalry now, but man were some of those games nasty back then.

 

[WJCJ]

For the Habs...

Historically it's the Maple Leafs.
Currently it's the Bruins.
The fiercest one however was with the Nordiques.

Historically? I guess probably 60 years ago sure, but it's been Boston for as long as I have been alive. Boston's was the Rangers back in the 1920's.

Edit:

I gave this some more thought, “historically” it is Boston. No teams have played more playoff series against each other. At one point they may have had different rivals but then history happened and now they are the rivals by which all other rivalries are judged.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Who is each team’s biggest rival?

Montreal Canadiens - Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins - Montreal Canadiens
New Jersey Devils - Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers - Pittsburgh Penguins
Columbus Blue Jackets - Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals - Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins - Washington Capitals
Dallas Stars - Colorado Avalanche
Detroit Red Wings - Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche - Detroit Red Wings
Ottawa Senators - Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres - Ottawa Senators
San Jose Sharks - L.A Kings
L.A Kings - Chicago Blackhawks
Minnesota Wild - Chicago Blackhawks
Nashville Predators - Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues - Chicago Blackhawks
Vancouver Canucks - Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks - Brent Seabrook's Cap Hit
Toronto Maple Leafs - Toronto Media
Vegas Golden Knights - The Blue Man Group
New York Rangers - The Salary Cap
Brooklyn Islanders - New York Islanders
Florida Panthers - Commuting
Arizona Coyotes - Attendance Figures
Carolina Hurricanes - Treadmills
Tampa Bay Lightning - The Reality About 2004
Calgary Flames - Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks - Game 7s
Edmonton Oilers - Making the Playoffs
Winnipeg Jets - Does anyone care enough to put thought into it?

 

[Braunbaer]

For the Bruins it's Francis Charron.

 

[kesleaf]

I'd say for the Leafs it's HFB.

lmao

 

[Taluss]

From what I know:
Ott-Leafs (and Habs)
Habs- Bruins
Pens-Caps
Devils-Rangers

 

[Choralone]

I guess it’s currently Nashville or St. Louis...

But the last rivalry I really cared about, where every game was ‘clear your schedule, turn off your phone, must watch’ viewing was the Kings. Cause that felt...bigger.

It was like ‘you are the one team capable of standing in our way. You are the one obstacle to cementing our legacy, and putting our stamp on this decade as OUR decade. You have the chance to take what we want and make it yours instead’.

When the stakes are historical legacy, when its about best of the best, about who gets remembered most clearly decades from now, it means more than ‘oh, the teams get in scrums after the whistles and their fans are obnoxious’.

But I dont think either roster ever had a bad thing to say to each other. There wasnt much hate. Just respect and laser focus. Both teams in 2014 admitted they circled the other as the guys they had to get past to get the cup, and had done so as early as the all-star break. Imagine playing half a season with absolute certainty about who you were gonna go to war with in crunch time. Like everything up to that inevitability is just...preamble.

I miss those days. Fans knew that every one of those Chicago / LA games - regular season or playoffs - was going to be a gem. And considering how high-stakes they were, instead of bad blood there was a lot of mutual respect.

 

[Viqsi]

ANA - LAK?
ARZ - VGK?
BOS - MTL
BUF - TOR/BOS
CGY - EDM
CAR - WSH?
CHI - STL?
COL - DAL?
DAL - COL?
EDM - CGY
FLA - TBL
LAK - ANA/SJS
MIN - WPG?
MTL - BOS
NSH - WPG?
NJD - NYR
NYI - NYR
NYR - NYI
OTT - TOR
PHI - PIT
PIT - PHI
SJS - ANA/LAK/VGK
STL - CHI?
TBL - FLA
TOR - OTT/MTL
VAN - CGY?
VGK - SJS?
WSH - PIT
WPG - MIN/NSH?

Missing Detroit and Columbus.

 

[Cygnusx1018]

Missing Detroit and Columbus.

thanks will fix

 

[Swervin81]

Honestly, it depends on the era.

Up until the late 70's: Habs (HM: Red Wings)
80's to late-90's: Red Wings (HM: Hawks and Blues)
Late-90's to lockout: Sens, Sabres (HM: Flyers)
Late 2000's: Sens, Habs
2010's: Bruins

 

[PegulasSportsEmpire]

Sabres fan here. Toronto Maple Leafs. Their fans take over the arena. We have 2 of the sport's best young talent (Eichel, Matthews). If the Sabres get good over the next couple of years this rivalry is going to take off.

Boston Bruins are a close 2nd. Met in the Playoffs a lot. Also the Patriots domination of Bills adds fuel to the fire.

Other rivalries. These rivalries have died down over the years.
Ottawa Senators. Met in playoffs a lot. Especially in mid 2000s.
Montreal Canadiens. Met in playoffs a lot.
Carolina Hurricanes. Only one playoff series. Canes fans are mad because some Sabres fans apparently got drunk and caused havoc. Sabres fans are mad because they feel that they would've had the Cup that year if not for injuries and that Canes fans don't care about hockey.

 

[the4thlinegrinder]

For the Oilers it’s the Flames of course, but if the Battle of Alberta was a 10/10 intensity wise back in the 80’s it’s probably about a 3/10 now. A lack of playoff matchups for almost 30 years will do that. The rivalry is mostly fan driven nowadays.

Apart from Calgary, historically I think it would be Dallas in the 90’s/early 00’s, Winnipeg in the 80’s and early 90’s, and the Islanders in the mid 80’s.

Edit: also LA in the 80’s

 

[Choralone]

Edit: also LA in the 80’s

Damn straight - I used to hate the Oilers and the Flames with a passion in those Smythe days.

 

[Habs10025]

Montreal Canadiens greatest rival were the Quebec Nordiques . When Quebec City lost their team fans in both cities lost .

 

[ponder]

For the Leafs, used to be Montreal, but Boston have passed them. Then Ottawa third.

Honesty though, I have very little ill will towards Montreal or Ottawa, cool with either team unless they’re playing the Leafs. Boston though? Genuinely don’t like them. Marchand is such a little rat, he’s a one man rivalry.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

Just love the hate between Doughty and Tkachuk, just two scumbags, doing ******* things.

Tkachuk doesn't hate Doughty, Doughty might hate him but that's because he continues to be Tkachuk's B***h.

Doughty's big mouth caught up to him, who would have thought it would be a 19 year old that shut it.

 

[Mobiandi]

The BoA has kind of petered out. Ditto for Vancouver. I'd say our biggest rivals are currently the Ducks and Kings. Those games always seem to be more feisty than the others in our schedule

 

[Derg12]

No one right now other than the ghost of Tim Murray.