NHL | Prime 10 NHL rivalries: The place does Panthers-Lightning land?

Jon Cooper has coached the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2013. Throughout that point, he has watched the Battle of Florida between the Bolts and the Florida Panthers go from one thing theoretical to one of many NHL’s most intense feuds.

“They began to get good after we occurred to be on the peak. It has been a battle. And I am telling you, it is a lot enjoyable to play video games towards these guys,” Cooper advised ESPN. “They for positive circle us on the calendar, as will we.”

The lifeblood of the NHL is rivalries. They’re probably the most marketable commodity within the league outdoors of the Stanley Cup itself. They invigorate the followers as a lot as they do the gamers and coaches.

However like success on the ice, rivalries come and go. For instance, we’re a few dozen years faraway from the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks having probably the most intense and brutal rivalry within the NHL. You’d by no means realize it watching these groups play at this time.

We final ranked the highest group rivalries within the NHL two years in the past. Loads of dynamics have modified since then, though a number of feuds stay as intense as ever. So we determined to revisit them as one other addition of the Battle of Florida arrives this weekend (6 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN+/Hulu).

The opposite
31 groups

This entry ranked No. 2 on our listing two years in the past. On the time, the Golden Knights had amassed fairly the rogues gallery of rivals: The Sharks, Kings and Capitals on the ice, and ranging levels of warmth with the Jets, Canucks, Avalanche and even the Wild when it got here to defending the dignity of 1 Marc-Andre Fleury.

So if “Vegas vs. Everybody” was ranked second then, it has to ascend to the throne of NHL rivalries now. After the swaggering Stanley Cup victory. After the long-term injured reserve artistic accounting, which for Vegas has been a matter of opportune timing and for followers of different groups has been derided as wage cap shenanigans. After touchdown Anthony Mantha, Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl on the commerce deadline, courting Patrick Kane after which having GM Kelly McCrimmon take offense to the concept that the Golden Knights chase each massive identify participant.

As I wrote after their Cup win, the Golden Knights are the NHL’s nice disruptors. With disruption comes disturbance, and with disturbance comes annoyance. The envy over Vegas being on monitor for a second straight Cup simply underscores that animosity. One of the best group rivalry within the NHL at this second? This group vs. the opposite 31. Nothing comes shut.

The Oilers have had the higher hand on this rivalry, profitable 4 of their previous six conferences in addition to that chaotic second-round playoff collection in 2022. One among my favourite quotes concerning the Battle of Alberta got here from Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson after that playoff loss to Edmonton: “It clearly sucked that summer time, however we have been all fairly blissful once they misplaced to Colorado.”

Outdoors of aggressive stability — though Calgary leads the all-time regular-season collection (.543 factors proportion) — it is a feud that has all of it. They’re division rivals and geographic rivals, and the followers circle the date when it is time for an additional Flames vs. Oilers lovefest as a result of issues can get fairly bushy fairly rapidly. Look no additional than final month’s 6-3 Flames win, which had brutal hits, two fights, three misconduct penalties and a reminder of what the “BoA” may be.

As Flames Corridor of Famer Lanny McDonald mentioned forward of the Heritage Traditional between the groups in 2023: “In case you could not stand up for a recreation towards the Oilers, then one thing was fallacious with you, and also you wanted to go play for a unique group. And the identical went for them.”

It took some time for this one to get cooking, which is what occurs when one group makes the Stanley Cup Last 5 occasions and wins three championships whereas the opposite makes the playoffs twice within the first 19 years of the century, shedding within the first spherical each occasions.

As Lightning coach Jon Cooper famous, issues began to show in 2019-20, when Joel Quenneville arrived as head coach, Aleksander Barkov blossomed right into a star and Sergei Bobrovsky signed as a free agent. The regular-season video games turned extra intense with increased stakes. The Bolts and Cats met twice within the playoffs, with Tampa Bay profitable each conferences.

Now, Florida is the place the Lightning was once: coming off a Stanley Cup Last look, pushing for greatest document within the NHL and looking out like a postseason favourite. Based mostly on the present standings, there’s an opportunity the Panthers meet the Lightning once more within the playoffs this season with their roles reversed.

“That group began to get good and we occur to be on the peak,” Cooper mentioned. “It has been a battle. And I am telling you, it is a lot enjoyable to play towards these guys.”

This rivalry is sort of a volcano that went dormant for a decade after which spewed sizzling lava final season when the Devils returned to playoff rivalry. They performed with swagger. Their followers traveled to MSG to taunt Igor Shesterkin. They met the Rangers within the first spherical of the playoffs, shedding the primary two video games after which rallying for a seven-game collection win wanting like the brand new hotness to the Rangers being outdated and busted.

After all, that Devils group by no means confirmed up for the 2023-24 season. Neither did that Rangers group, as New York is the one enjoying with velocity and confidence whereas New Jersey will seemingly miss the playoffs. The Rangers are 3-0-0 towards the Devils this season, profitable every recreation convincingly.

Because the latest sideshow with Matt Rempe confirmed, there’s nonetheless loads of animosity between these rivals, even when the percentages are lengthy that we’ll get one other playoff stress cooker between them this season. And it is a rivalry that stretches a long time.

“The hatred? I could not even put a quantity on it — the hatred was off the charts,” mentioned Ken Daneyko, who performed 20 seasons with the Devils earlier than turning into a broadcaster for the group. “It was an unwritten rule that you just would not even say their identify. I think about it was the identical factor for them. It was that sort of rivalry.”

Whereas there’s an opportunity the Bruins may catch the Panthers for the highest of the Atlantic Division, the likeliest first-round playoff collection within the East would pit Boston towards the Maple Leafs of their first postseason assembly since 2019. Which suggests we may very well be in for a present.

They’ve met thrice up to now 11 postseasons, with the Bruins profitable every collection in seven video games. None of those was pedestrian, from the soul-crushing “it was 4-to-1” time beyond regulation loss for Toronto in 2012 to back-to-back unravelings in 2018 and 2019 that have been punctuated by pair of prolonged Nazem Kadri suspensions from the NHL’s division of participant security.

Video games between the division rivals have remained intense and aggressive, however the actual cash is within the playoffs. Will the Bruins proceed to interrupt the Leafs underneath the stress of postseason depth? Or may the Maple Leafs lastly overcome their tormentors in a method that places wind of their sails for a championship run, very similar to it did for the Washington Capitals towards the Pittsburgh Penguins en path to the 2018 Stanley Cup?

What is the spicier rivalry for the Penguins in 2024: their intrastate one towards the Flyers or the one with the Capitals, which stretches past the Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin years however reached its apex throughout that period?

We put it to a vote on social media, and three,500 responses later the Penguins vs. Flyers had round 75% of the vote. However it did appear that a variety of dispassionate Pittsburgh followers needed an choice to vote for “neither” as a result of the group’s aggressive hearth has been stolen prefer it was a crate of Jaromir Jagr bobblehead dolls.

The Capitals rivalry was particular, and there is not any query it might have ranked first general on this listing inside the final decade. The decline of each franchises as Stanley Cup contenders dampened the rivalry, however so did their success: The Penguins received their Cups and the Capitals received theirs. Plus, seeing Ovechkin and Crosby all buddy-buddy of their sundown years has sort of ruined the kayfabe of all of it.

The Penguins and Flyers used to have nasty, blood-filled video games. As Crosby famous to author Dave Molinari earlier this season, the “new” NHL has meant an evolution within the rivalry, too. “The sport has developed and adjusted,” Crosby mentioned. “And with that, the rivalry most likely has developed just a little bit.”

There was already a baseline of animosity right here between the cities, because of their proximity. However issues actually received attention-grabbing in recent times, with accusations that the Jets have focused Minnesota star Kirill Kaprizov, and the scenario this season involving Jets ahead Cole Perfetti and Wild ahead Ryan Hartman.

Perfetti asserted that Hartman deliberately high-sticked him within the face as revenge for Winnipeg defenseman Brenden Dillon having injured Kaprizov with a cross-check. Hartman denied the accusation and mentioned Perfetti was attempting to goad him into an admission as a result of the Jets participant was sporting a reside mic for the Winnipeg social media group.

Violence, animosity, accusations of gamers sporting a wire to seize confessions … NHL rivalry or status crime drama? You resolve.

Because the MetLife Stadium Sequence confirmed, the warring factions of New York hockey followers have all the fervour essential to elevate this feud up these rankings. The Rangers vs. Islanders rivalry is sort of a lit fuse seeking a powder keg. That powder keg is, unquestionably, a playoff collection between the geographic adversaries.

The Rangers and Islanders have not met within the playoffs for the reason that 1993-94 season, thanks partly to NHL playoff codecs and occasional postseason droughts by every group. It may occur this postseason, with the Rangers main the Metro Division and the Islanders within the wild card. If it does, the collection shall be heart stage for New York sports activities followers and will return this rivalry to its correct place within the NHL. Particularly if Patrick Roy tries to combat Peter Laviolette sooner or later.

Laviolette performed within the rivalry throughout his temporary NHL profession and has coached each groups.

“The rivalry is fairly superior,” he mentioned earlier than the Stadium Sequence recreation. “It is in New York. It is a long-standing rivalry the place two groups play exhausting towards one another and I might anticipate it to be the identical at this time. There’s some custom right here in regard to that rivalry.”

Is that this just a little too excessive? Maybe, though each video games between the groups this season have been intense battles received by the Bruins. These wins do not precisely stability the scales when the Panthers have their seven-game, first-round upset over Boston — in what would grow to be a de facto retirement match for Patrice Bergeron — to carry over the Bruins’ heads.

Matthew Tkachuk firmly established himself as public enemy No. 1 in Boston because of his antics and heroics in final season’s collection. He cemented that standing by telling ESPN this preseason that what he was most excited to see in 2023-24 was “what Boston does after their season final yr, how they comply with that one up.” Oof.

It all the time issues. Even when one group is up and the opposite is rebuilding. Even when there’s nothing on the road besides one being a spoiler for the opposite. However particularly when there’s loads to play for, like when the Canadiens rallied for a seven-game playoff win again in 2021 in a collection without end remembered for a brutal damage to Leafs heart John Tavares in Recreation 1.

It is nonetheless the historic, cultural, extraordinarily Canadian feud that stretches again a century. The one that is the centerpiece of many a “Hockey Night time in Canada” on Saturdays. The one which impressed a youngsters’s ebook about hockey sweaters. It is Habs vs. Leafs. It belongs right here.

The classics

Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues
Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Pink Wings
Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals
The Battle(s) of California

One of many nice joys in NHL rivalries is seeing that spark of animosity that also lingers between groups even when the feud’s apex was years in the past. Like in that latest recreation between the Pink Wings and Avalanche that Patrick Kane ended with an time beyond regulation objective, which was intense sufficient that followers lamented the truth that they’re not division rivals. Cale Makar was born a yr after the Combat Night time on the Joe!

The Blackhawks and Blues shall be featured in subsequent season’s Winter Traditional at Wrigley Discipline. The Flyers and Rangers may meet on this season’s playoffs. The Habs and Bruins … not a lot, however that is clearly a rivalry that may reignite when Montreal returns to prominence.

The powerful name was placing the Penguins and Capitals within the “legacy” class, contemplating how contentious this matchup has been for the higher a part of twenty years. However as said earlier, it has cooled off significantly because the groups have. We’ll nonetheless tune in for Sid vs. Ovi till we will not anymore, however the group vs. group rivalry has calmed down.

Lastly, whereas Florida and Alberta battle on, the assorted incarnations of the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Geese and San Jose Sharks rivalries have cooled off pending the latter two groups returning to relevance. However as they’ve all proven up to now 15 years, these feuds are something however sunshine once they’re scorching.

Able to explode

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Detroit Pink Wings
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Florida Panthers vs. Ottawa Senators
Seattle Kraken vs. Colorado Avalanche
Seattle Kraken vs. Vancouver Canucks

The simplest approach to create rivals is thru punishing playoff collection. To that finish, the Oilers and Kings have been very accustomed to one another up to now two postseasons, with Edmonton advancing each occasions. Yet one more tight collection and this rivalry may very well be solidified.

If the Blue Jackets have a rival, it is most likely the Penguins for geographic causes. However subsequent season’s Stadium Sequence at The Horseshoe at Ohio State may reorient their relationship with the Pink Wings with an infusion of that outdated Wolverines vs. Buckeyes animosity. Hopefully, at the very least.

The Senators and Panthers are low key turning into a must-see matchup within the Jap Convention. Their recreation final November descended into utter chaos: Please recall Grandma Tkachuk being aghast when a brawl between the groups left the referee declaring “each participant on the ice has a 10-minute misconduct.” The rematch was a tightly performed time beyond regulation win for the Cats. These groups are placing on bangers regardless of the gap within the standings. Is it the Tkachuk issue?

Lastly, we could not fairly put the Kraken into the highest 10 but, having simply made the playoffs for the primary time final season. However that postseason did embody an upset over the Avalanche, and the depth of that collection has carried over to this season in three bodily video games that included gamers equivalent to Jordan Eberle dropping the gloves.

In the meantime, one of the vital thrilling issues about having a group in Seattle was the proximity to Vancouver. As a lot as we need to will this rivalry into being a factor, we’re not there but. However once more, all it takes is one flashpoint incident or memorable playoff collection, and these division rivals — and their fan bases — are prepared for the rivalry to take off.