Ranking the NHL's 10 Best Rivalries in the 2014-15 Season 

Nothing is more exciting for NHL fans than a game or playoff series between two evenly matched rivals. Whether it's a matchup between longstanding adversaries or one with a recent history, competition between two talented rivals provides thrills for hockey fans and boosts the league's TV ratings.

Several components go into a good hockey rivalry. Years or decades of playoff history is certainly a significant factor. Location plays a role, particularly among regional rivals. Quality of competition and talent are also key elements.

All of these factors should contribute to what should be the best NHL rivalries this season. Please feel free to comment on which rivalry you believe should be this season's best.

10 and 9. New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders or New Jersey Devils

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Any contest between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders or New Jersey Devils is usually entertaining for local fans. Unfortunately, the Islanders' decades of mediocrity and the recent decline in the Devils' fortunes means there's been little on the line in recent years, except local bragging rights.

This season, however, could provide a renewal of intensity between the Rangers and their two longtime rivals. The Blueshirts are defending Eastern Conference champions, and NHL.com's Tal Pinchevsky reports they aspire to return to the Stanley Cup Final next spring. They're led by goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forwards Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis.

The Islanders, meanwhile, hope the additions of veterans Jaroslav Halak, Johnny Boychuk, Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin provide experienced depth to their promising young roster. The defensively sound Devils look to offseason acquisitions Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat to bolster their scoring.

Should the Islanders and Devils end up jockeying for playoff contention, their games against the Rangers should be more competitive. That could breathe new life into these respective rivalries.

8. Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars

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Though the Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars twice faced each other in playoff competition, their respective rosters had undergone significant changes since their last postseason encounter in 2008. The Ducks rebuilt themselves around franchise players Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, while the Stars are led by youngsters Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. 

Their 2014 conference quarterfinal was a physical contest, resulting in a big scrum at the end of Game 4. This hard-hitting, competitive series ended with the Ducks eliminating the Stars in six games.

In recent years both clubs largely rebuilt from within. Over the past summer, however, they added veteran depth. The Ducks acquired center Ryan Kesler, while the Stars brought in Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky.

These additions, along with last spring's quarterfinal matchup, should set the stage for a thrilling, fast-paced rivalry between these two aspiring Stanley Cup contenders.

7. Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild

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These two clubs tangled before in playoff action, including the Minnesota Wild upsetting the Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the 2003 conference quarterfinals. That was back in the days the Avs were loaded with future Hall of Famers Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Rob Blake, while the Wild were barely three years in existence.

The rebuilt Avalanche and Wild got reacquainted with playoff intensity during last spring's conference quarterfinal tilt. This action-packed series went the distance, ending with Wild forward Nino Niederreiter's overtime goal in Game 7 eliminating the Avalanche. 

Both clubs are stocked with notable talent. The Avalanche possess rising stars Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, Gabe Landeskog and Ryan O'Reilly and a superb goaltender in Semyon Varlamov. The Wild counter with veteran skill in Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, along with promising youth in Mikael Granlund, Jonas Brodin, Charlie Coyle and Erik Haula.

The intensity of their 2014 conference quarterfinal established what could become a long and entertaining rivalry between these two teams. Though their much-anticipated back-to-back home openers this season were decidedly one-sided in favor of the Wild, future games between the two could be more closely contested.

6. Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

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For fans of “old-time hockey”, it usually doesn't get much better than a Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins game, especially in the playoffs. The Battle of the Keystone State became steadily acrimonious in their three playoff series since 2008. The Penguins won two of the three, while the Flyers won the latest in 2012.

The intensity and hatred between the two clubs during that period was very apparent. Superstars Sidney Crosby and Claude Giroux have famously sparred with each other, with Crosby professing his dislike of Giroux and the Flyers following a heated 2012 playoff game. Several of their postseason games saw the bad blood rise to a boil, spilling over into brawl-filled contests.

Last season the ferocity between the two cooled somewhat. The Flyers won four of their five regular-season meetings, which were largely devoid of the intensity usually found in their recent playoff meetings. 

With these divisional rivals entering this season as Eastern Conference playoff contenders, it shouldn't take much to rekindle the stormy competitiveness between these Pennsylvania rivals.

5. Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

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The Chicago Blackhawks status as Cup contenders and the St. Louis Blues ascendance among the NHL's top teams has reignited a once-heated rivalry between these two clubs. The flash point was their 2014 conference quarterfinal series, in which the Blackhawks overcame a 2-0 series deficit to eliminate the Blues in six games.

This rivalry is an interesting matchup between a veteran Blackhawks team which won two championships since 2010, and a Blues club hungry for its first taste of Stanley Cup glory. 

Both sides are well-stocked in talent. The Blackhawks are led by superstars Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith, while the Blues counter with David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Paul Stastny and Alex Pietrangelo. The two teams also feature promising young stars, such as Blackhawks winger Brandon Saad and Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko.

With the Blackhawks and Blues hoping to chase a championship this season, their meetings should only increase in intensity. The stage could be set for a dramatic postseason rematch next spring.

4 and 3. Los Angeles Kings vs. Anaheim Ducks or San Jose Sharks

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Expect The Battle of California to remain an exciting rivalry this season. The Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks are among the dominant clubs in the Western Conference. While the Kings enter this season as defending Stanley Cup champions, the Ducks and Sharks are keen to challenge for the championship crown.

All three clubs are deep in superstar talent. The Kings are led by Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick, the Sharks by Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture and the Ducks by Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler.

Given the Kings and Ducks' location in the great Los Angeles metropolitan area, they have a natural regional rivalry. Both have become Stanley Cup champions over the past eight years, with the Kings winning in 2012 and 2014 and the Ducks in 2007.

In recent years, however, the Kings have had a more intense rivalry with the Sharks. Since 2011 the two sides have squared off three times in playoff competition, with the Kings winning two of the three series. The most dramatic was their 2014 conference quarterfinal, in the Kings overcame a 3-0 series deficit to upset the Sharks in seven games. They went on to eliminate the Ducks in the conference semifinal.

With the Kings the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Sharks still smarting from last spring's playoff collapse and the Ducks aspiring for Cup contention, this season's version of The Battle of California should be the best one yet.

2. Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

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This longtime rivalry, which spans decades of NHL history, remains as intense as ever. A prime example was their 2014 conference semifinal, in which the Canadiens eliminated the Bruins in a hard-fought series which went the full seven games. 

Both clubs remain well-matched. The Bruins are backstopped by 2014 Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask, while the Canadiens counter with the unflappable Carey Price, who bested Rask in last spring's playoff series. Their respective defenses are led by two former Norris Trophy winners in Boston's Zdeno Chara and Montreal's P.K. Subban.

The two sides also match up well offensively. The Bruins are led by David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron, while the Canadiens are powered by Max Pacioretty and rising young stars Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher.

Entering this season, there's no reason to believe the ferocity between these two rivals will subside. The Bruins are still considered a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, but their dominance in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference faces a serious challenge from the Canadiens.

1. Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings

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Perhaps no rivalry has come to mean more over the past two years than that between the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings. These two have clashed in the Western Conference Final in each of the past two seasons, with the winner going on to win the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks triumphed in 2013 and the Kings in 2014.

The Toronto Sun's Mike Zeisberger (via the Winnipeg Sun) called this rivalry one of ferocity, competitiveness and mutual respect. Given the constraints of today's salary-cap world, maintaining two Cup contenders for more than two seasons is very difficult, yet the Kings and Blackhawks have succeeded where others have failed.

Both are evenly matched, well-managed and well-coached franchises loaded with talent and experience. While the Blackhawks are led by Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa, the Kings counter with Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty and Marian Gaborik.

The Kings and Blackhawks remain the cream of the crop and the teams to beat in the highly competitive Western Conference. It's quite possible they could once again face off in the Western Conference Final, with the winner going on to Stanley Cup glory. It's a shame such a great rivalry cannot be settled in the Stanley Cup Final showcase it deserves.

Unless otherwise indicated all team and player information via NHL.com.