Who is each team’s biggest rival?

[Paperbagofglory]

Nylander: That's it Shanny, this the last time you slap your Willy around.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

For years that was the case with the Caps and Pens. The Caps' biggest rival was Pittsburgh, but the Pens' biggest rival was Philly.

I'm actually surprised to see so many Pens fans in this thread now saying it's the Caps. I guess the last 3 playoffs have changed things.

Pens and caps have been the two best teams in the league for a while, i think both sides have acknowledged that including the players.

Playing high stakes hockey with such skill involved on both sides it's impossible not to have a rivalry. Whereas Philly has been irrelevant for a while (on their way up though).

 

[rfournier103]

I’m curious about the situations where it’s not reciprocal, where a team doesn’t consider the opponent a bitter rival the way that opponent perceives it.

Until I joined this forum, I never imagined that so many people hate the Bruins. Fans from all over... I think only the Maple Leafs are more despised.

The Bruins and Canadiens are mutual rivals. No question. I think there’s a bit of a rivalry with Pittsburgh too. But I think there’s a lot more hate coming from the Maple Leafs towards the Bruins than the other way around.

 

[Coffey]

FOr teh Flames, obviously the Oilers are our #1 rival, but there is a pretty healthy dislike for everything Vancouver too. I'd argue Anaheim & LA are a toss up for 3rd.

Agreed with everything here.

 

[Byrral]

CBJ have no rivals. Rivalries develop when you win and make another team hurt. CBJ are everyone's little bitch until they beat someone.

 

[BonMorrison]

Give it another year or two and the Preds/Jets rivalry is going to be off the hook and both teams biggest all time rivalry.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

We don't have one

Nashville?

 

[7even]

Well geographically it's Washington. Long-time divisional foe and about 4 hours from Raleigh. But we've never played them in the playoffs and DC is closer to Philly/Pittsburgh anyway. Never really developed one with Atlanta unfortunately.

Playoff-wise; Buffalo, Boston, and New Jersey were our "foes" for hard-hitting and/or constant affairs (in NJs case) but no more. We had something brewing with Boston circa 2011 going back to 2009 and that 2011 regular season game where like half the Bruins roster went nuts and tried to fight every Hurricanes player, and Julien got thrown out, but Carolina didn't capitalize on it by being relevant.

We both just sucked in the proximity of one another.

 

[sycamore]

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

As a Caps fan, after the Pens I have to say its Tampa. Tampa always had our number in the playoffs (except for 2018 of course) and it irritates me no end that this little expansion team tucked all the way down there in Florida won a Cup before us.

 

[JJ68]

Toronto doesn’t really have one. Boston is more like unfinished business, not really a rival. The Ottawa rivalry has (unfortunately) been irrelevant for years. The Montreal rivalry feels dead too as neither teams are good at the same time. I’d love for them to both be contenders to spark something.

The fact that one team sometimes isnt good doesnt mean there isnt a rivalry any longer. If that were the case, a century of always hammering Boston would mean they'd be irrelevant to the Habs. Or the fact the Leafs had sucked for almost ever would mean they'd be irrelevant as well, especially considering they were in a different conference for so long. The Leafs sucked 5 years ago but there was a rivalry on ice because back then there were still guys on both teams that would spark something. Now every player is a dull 4th liner whose only specialty is that they are solid at faceoffs.
There's no emotion any more.

 

[super6646]

FOr teh Flames, obviously the Oilers are our #1 rival, but there is a pretty healthy dislike for everything Vancouver too. I'd argue Anaheim & LA are a toss up for 3rd.

I'd have Anaheim and LA ahead of Vancouver... those two teams just make me pissed off.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Detroit really hasn't been good since going east. I think they played Tampa in the playoffs every time they made it in the East.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Penguins’ rival has usually been the Flyers but they have have been irrelevant for quite awhile, so it’s been the Caps as of late.

This

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Detroit really hasn't been good since going east. I think they played Tampa in the playoffs every time they made it in the East.

Boston the 1st year then Tampa twice

 

[SKRusty]

The Toronto Maple Leafs and an inferiority complex. Name a more iconic duo.

The Leaf's has to be the ghost of Harold Ballard. 50 plus years since Harold took full control of the Leaf's and they have not won since.

 

[firstemperor]

The Toronto Maple Leafs and an inferiority complex. Name a more iconic duo.

If anything, it's a superiority complex. Most of these petty posts are from "neutral fans" and their own insecurities.

 

[Hunter368]

Jets:

No one in the East.

West, only the Predators IMO. Media tries to build something with the Wild, but there has never been any rivalry there.

 

[Foppberg]

Minnesota. Used to be Detroit but that's dead.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Peter Chiarelli and the Edmonton Oilers

 

[Ace of Hades]

Canucks don't really have much of a rivalry with anyone since we're awful for quite a while now.

Used to be Chicago and Calgary.

 

[koyvoo]

For Montreal it’s def Boston

 

[VinikToWinIt]

We had a good thing going with Montreal a few years back, then Detroit. Now both have faded a bit so we're in the hunt for a new rival.

Maybe a Toronto - Tampa Bay playoff series would get some bad blood flowing.

 

[cowboy82nd]

For the Florida Panthers, I say our biggest rival is Relocation Rumors!!! We face those almost every year.

 

[Stickpucker]

Carolina s biggest rival is themselves.

 

[cgf]

...secondary scoring...


Having become an avs fan because of how much Roy reminded me of Oliver Kahn, not saying the Dead Things feels wrong.

But between us having to rebuild before them and the conference change, I don’t dislike them as actively as I do the Green Filth...

#conflicted