New Rivalries Getting Better in the 2015-16 NHL Season

Classic NHL rivalries withstand the test of time. Even today, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins  despise each other based on ancient history from their time as Original Six franchises.

Other rivalries are formed through proximity, like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers or New York Islanders and New York Rangers.

But in the modern-day NHL, it's playoff familiarity or frequency of divisional play that breeds the kind of contempt needed to pit teams and their fanbases against each other and make that game more important than others on the schedule.

So while old rivalries exist and may never die, new ones are forming constantly. It remains to be seen which ones withstand the test of time, but here are some new rivalries formed in the past couple of years and getting better in the 2015-16 season.

Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues

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How it has developed: The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues are division rivals who meet five times this season; in a first-round matchup last postseason, the Wild upset the higher-seeded Blues in a six-game series.

Why you should watch: They may not be high-scoring teams in comparison to some of the league's best offenses, but the teams are far from boring to watch despite the Wild's reputation for dull play. Zach Parise was a big reason the Wild came out of the playoffs victorious, along with goaltender Devan Dubnyk's more consistent play over the Blues' Jake Allen. In the end, they combined for 31 goals in the six contests.

This year's clashes: The Wild have a pair of regulation victories and an overtime loss against the Blues this season, with the Blues scoring six goals and the Wild netting eight. They're part of a four-team cluster fighting for the second and third seeds in the Central Division of the Western Conference.

Washington Capitals and New York Islanders

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How it has developed: Last year's seven-game series between the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs seemed like a bit of a waste as an early-round battle. It didn't disappoint following four regular-season games that featured three overtime contests. The two teams finished in a dead heat for the second spot in the Metropolitan Division standings with 101 points apiece.

Technically these clubs have a history, with heated battles going back to the 1980s. However, the new rivalry is just getting started, with the current versions looking like potential Stanley Cup contenders for years to come.

Why you should watch: Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares, the respective captains of the Caps and Isles, are two of the biggest stars in the league. The goaltenders are solid, and so are the defensive groups in front of them. There are young stars on the rise on each roster, and they will be battling head-to-head for many division crowns in the coming years. The more they meet in the playoffs, the more thrilling the games will get.

This year's clashes: This rivalry was put here on spec since their first of four battles comes this week. But anticipation is building. For these two franchises with great history and star players to renew a rivalry in the modern era will be great for the league and the game.

Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning

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How it has developed: Before meeting in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens played four tightly contested regular-season games that year. Two went to shootouts, another to overtime, and the final one included an empty-net goal in the final minute. They've met in the first and second playoff rounds the past two seasons with opposite results.

Why you should watch: These teams have been among the best in the Eastern Conference the past couple of seasons, and every time they meet, the game is intensely quick. Their exciting brands of hockey mean whistles are few and far between. It's as close to run-and-gun pond hockey as the league gets these days. Thank goodness they both have strong goaltenders, even though Montreal's Carey Price is still out with an injury.

This year's clashes: Their sole meeting of the season so far did not disappoint, with the Canadiens snapping a six-game losing streak by beating the Bolts 4-3 in a shootout on Dec. 28. The Habs got goals from Max Pacioretty and Brian Flynn in the showdown after Dale Weise tied things up late in the third period.

Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers

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How it has developed: This was once a classic rivalry featuring two great teams in the 1980s and early 1990s. Then the Calgary Flames went in the tank. Eventually, the Edmonton Oilers followed suit, and the provincial roommates haven't been able to prosper at the same time for the better part of two decades. One-sided contests have been the norm for years, but both are young up-and-comers now.

Why you should watch: The notion of reigniting a classic rivalry is exciting. Or, at least, it should be. These teams are stockpiling high picks, and they could both rise to consistently playoff-worthy rosters together. Connor McDavid and Taylor Hall. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. These are the names of the present and future.

This year's clashes: While we wait for the teams to be competitive leaguewide, we're seeing them be competitive against each other. In three contests this season, the teams have scored 12 goals apiece, with the Oilers winning 5-2 in the opener and the Flames claiming 5-4 and 5-3 victories in the next two. They meet again twice more later this month and in April. We should anticipate more goal outbursts.

Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks

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How it has developed: The Western Conference Final last season gave birth to what looks like one of the best new rivalries in the game. The Anaheim Ducks are built to punish opponents. The Chicago Blackhawks are built to withstand it. They played a seven-game series for the chance to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Cup Final, and three games went to overtime, including double- and triple-OT marathons.

Why you should watch: The playoff hockey these two teams played last spring was epic. A series for the ages. The road to the Stanley Cup could pass through either city if the Ducks are able to overcome their poor start and make the playoffs.

This year's clashes: Although the Ducks have been a disappointment as a franchise so far this season, their games against the Blackhawks have been stellar to view. Both contests went in favor of the Blackhawks, but the Ducks put up a fight with 1-0 and 3-2 overtime losses.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings

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How it has developed: There is plenty of history between these two Original Six NHL teams, but the modern-day rivalry is just getting started. The Detroit Red Wings moved into the Eastern Conference for the 2013-14 season, and five of their 11 games against the Toronto Maple Leafs since then have gone to overtime.

They met in the 2014 NHL Winter Classic, and the losing coach from that contest has switched sides with the Leafs inking longtime Wings bench boss Mike Babcock to a long-term deal to turn the ailing franchise around. A move like that puts every contest played between the two clubs in a national spotlight.

Why you should watch: Babcock, Babcock, Babcock. But forget the name and just think about the plot. A highly successful coach who helped a franchise make the playoffs in every single season he was there becomes a free agent and cashes in with a club that is scorching the roster and starting from scratch. The club he's going to model is the one he left, and the two teams will battle for the same division title for the foreseeable future.

This year's clashes: The Babcock twist has made the first two meetings this season even more interesting. You can use the contests as a litmus test for how much the team has improved. There was little fight from the Leafs in an early-October 4-0 shutout loss but plenty in the 2-1 overtime defeat nearly a month later. They'll meet twice more in March and April.

Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks

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How it has developed: Meeting for two straight springs in the playoffs in 2013 and 2014 has added heat to the obvious geographical element of the rivalry between the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings. Both of those playoff series went the distance, with five of the seven games decided by a single goal in 2013. The 2014 clash was epic, with the Kings coming back from a three-game series deficit to harpoon the Sharks.

Why you should watch: There is a genuine dislike brewing between the two California clubs, which are both built with speed and size. The contests are often very physical, bordering on dirty. There is plenty of star power as well on both benches.

This year's clashes: The Sharks added former Kings backup Martin Jones this offseason and have the edge so far in the season series, winning 5-1 on opening night and again on Dec. 22, 5-3. The Kings won 4-1 on Oct. 22. As far as the nastiness goes, new Kings winger Milan Lucic quickly got into the spirit of the rivalry—taking a match penalty in the dying minutes and sparking some great back-and-forth jabs in the media.