While the Wester Conference may have more Stanley Cups in recent history, the Eastern Conference blows away it's counterpart in rivalries. Just about every single team has two or three intense rivalries and we will take a look at some of the biggest of them all. The rivalries are broken down into three categories: the historic rivalries, the re-kindled rivalries, and the up-and-coming rivalries.
Historic Rivalries
Boston - Montreal
This is, hands down, the best rivalry in the league. Year after year these teams go at it, most of the time in front of a national audience, and each game contains a high level of anomosity. These two added another chapter in their rivalry last spring where the Canadiens pulled off a surprising upset to defeat the Bruins in seven games on foreign ice. With the Habs fresh off a trip to the Eastern Conference Final, this rivalry will be more intense next season with both teams capable of winning the Atlantic Division.
Montreal - Toronto
The two most storied franchises in Canada are heading in the opposite directions as we gear up for October. The Maple Leafs have been on decline and the Canadiens are one puzzle piece away from being in heavy contention to win the division and make another run in the playoffs. Yet, whenever these two teams meet, the standings take a back seat and the battle is on.
Pittsburgh - Philadelphia
The Battle of Pennsylvania isn't too far behind the above rivalries in the Atlantic Division. With two of the best players in the world leading both squads and two fanbases that detest each other, this rivalry is a must-watch heading into next season. It will be interesting to see how the Penguins respond to all of the changes that have been made so far this offseason. For Philadelphia, change might not be the best thing for a team that really came on in the latter half of last season all the way to a disappointing loss in Game 7 to the New York Rangers.
New Jersey - Philadelphia - New York Rangers - New York Islanders
With all four of these teams located within a 90-mile radius, there is plenty of hatred to go around. With the exception of the Devils - Islanders and Flyers - Islanders, every combination of these four teams is a different animal when it comes to rivalries.
The Flyers, Rangers and Devils each have bad blood and outright hatred towards each other. These teams have met time and time again in the playoffs, giving fans some of the most memorable moments in playoff history. These rivalries escalate when they face off in with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. From "Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!" and "Henrique! It's over!", to Scott Stevens knocking out Eric Lindros, to the epic Lindros and Broad Street versus Messier and Broadway games, the teams hate each other and the fans make fights in the crowd almost as exciting as the game on the ice.
The Islanders just make this cut because their rivalry with the Rangers is intensifying with last season's Stadium Series game and the Islanders on the rise and moving even closer to the Rangers in the near future.
Re-Kindled Rivalries
Pittsburgh - Washington
This is a year that will make this rivalry more enjoyable. Since Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin entered the league, the NHL has been ramming this rivalry down the throats of it's fans. While it was a great rivalry at the start, it has lost a lot of it's luster. The Penguins have dominated this rivalry recently, but with Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik switching sides, this rivalry has become a lot more interesting.
Detroit - Toronto & Montreal
Highlighted by the best Winter Classic to date, these two teams are close enough that bus loads of fans can travel between the two cities and root on the visitor's side. Next season, this rivalry will be even bigger with the Maple Leafs trying to hang on in the divisional playoff race. Montreal is a team the Red Wings have to keep up with in their division, and with the teams only separated by a few points last season, both teams will continue to re-kindle their old rivalry.
Detroit - Pittsburgh
When these two teams met in back-to-back classic Stanley Cup Finals, hockey fans hoped there would be a day where these teams met more often. Thankfully, the NHL obliged and fans get to see these two face off three times a year. Everytime the Red Wings and Penguins take the ice against each other, there is still noticable hatred left over from their respective cup runs years back. With both teams sporting large fan bases and located only four-and-a-half hours away from each other, this rivalry will continue to grow and grow.
Up-and-Coming Rivalries
Columbus - Pittsburgh
This has the potential to be the rivalry with the largest increase in intensity this season. The Blue Jackets gave the Penguins a serious scare in a tremendous six-game series last spring. With the Blue Jackets getting better and the fact they will face Pittsburgh at least four times next season, this rivalry is going to explode and will be a real treat to watch. With flocks of Penguins fans making the three-hour trek to Columbus, the animosity won't just grow on the ice either.
Tampa Bay - Montreal
Even though it was a short series between these two last spring, the building blocks were set for this rivalry to really build up. You know you have the makings of a rivalry when the division of fans at a Lightning home game is 60-40 in favor of the home team. The Canadiens have arguably the best-traveling fan base in the league, and with hundreds, even thousands, of fans attending games in Tampa, the Lightning, and the Lightning faithful are going build an increasing hatred of all things Montreal.