Penguins vs. Flyers and the Top 10 Most Heated Rivalries in Hockey

Whether they are geographically based or developed over years of playoff matchups, rivalries are the best part of hockey.

As most Penguins fans sit back, relax and enjoy the Stanley Cup Final, let's take this moment to check out the top 10 most heated rivalries in hockey.

This list only includes top 10 rivalries that I've grown up with or seen. I understand most of the Original Six rivalries from 60 years ago were very furious, but having no attachment to them, I can't include them in this list.

10. Buffalo Sabres vs. Ottawa Senators

This rivalry has escalated into a fierce, bitter rivalry in the last few years. Both were strong teams immediately after the lockout and they would always battle for the Northeast Division title.

Although they haven't met in the playoffs recently and Ottawa has been in a free fall, one moment in 2007 made this rivalry one of the top 10 most intense rivalries in the NHL.

Let the video do the talking.

9. Blackhawks vs. Canucks

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VANCOUVER, CANADA - APRIL 26: Henrik Sedin #33 (R) of the Vancouver Canucks and goalie Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks shake hands after the Canucks defeated the Blackhawks 2-1 in overtime of Game Seven of the Western Conference Quarterfinals

This rivalry is one of the few up-and-coming rivalries in the NHL. They've met in three consecutive seasons in the playoffs. In 2010, the winner of that series won the Stanley Cup and this year the winner of that series is well on its way to win one for themselves.

The rivalry goes back further than the three consecutive playoff series, though. The two teams squared off in 1982, with Vancouver winning that series 4-1. They also squared off in 1995 where Chicago swept Vancouver.

But this series has been alive and well currently because of the stars both teams have. Chicago has Toews and Kane, Vancouver has the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler and Roberto Luongo. It really wouldn't be a shock if the two teams met again in the playoffs next season.

8. Battle of Alberta: Flames vs. Oilers

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CALGARY, CANADA - APRIL 6: Lance Bouma #57 of the Calgary Flames is pinned to the boards by Taylor Chorney #41 of the Edmonton Oilers in third period NHL action on April 6, 2011 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Mike Ride

When these two teams play, there is no doubt that the arena will be rocking. Both are Canadian cities that have a huge following. Both of these cities live and breathe hockey and when they play against each other, it's not just a game, but it's a battle over the bragging rights of who is the best team in Alberta.

The Oilers have played the Flames five times in the playoffs and have won four of the series. However, Calgary leads the season series 90-87-18.

The playoff matchups exclusively came in the days of Wayne Gretzky. The Oilers defeated the Flames twice en route to the Stanley Cup. The Flames' only win in a series against the Oilers came in 1986.

After both teams tanked in the 1990s, they have reemerged as solid teams at the turn of the century with both clubs making Stanley Cup Final appearances in the 2000s. With the Oilers having a bright future with superstar forward Taylor Hall, there is no doubt the rivalry has been rekindled.

7. Red Wings vs. Avalanche

This was one of the greatest rivalries in the 90s. They have met six times since the Avalanche moved from Quebec to Colorado. Each team has won three series. In three of their four Cup runs, the Red Wings went through the Avalanche and in their 1996 Cup run, the Avalanche went through Detroit.

Some of the great players in this rivalry have been Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy and Detroit Red Wings Chris Osgood. Let the video portray the two goaltenders' affection for each other.

6. The Battle of the Keystone State: Flyers vs. Penguins

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PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 29: Mark Letestu #10 of the Pittsburgh Penguins takes a shot on goal against Sergei Bobrovsky #35 of the Philadelphia Flyers at Consol Energy Center on March 29, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Flyers defeated the Penguins 5

It's well documented that these two teams absolutely have hated each other since their inceptions in 1967. The Flyers went on to win two Stanley Cups early in their history and dominated the Penguins throughout the 1970s and 1980s. There was a long stretch where the Penguins couldn't even buy a win at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

Things changed though. Lemieux came. The Penguins won their two cups. Then they won another one with Sidney. The Flyers won the first three playoff series between the two. One of the most memorable games in NHL history was played in 2000 when Keith Primeau scored in the fifth overtime in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to give the Flyers the win. 

After this though, the Penguins have won the last two. A game remembered by all Penguins fans was Game 6 of the 2009 Eastern Quarterfinals when Max Talbot fought against Dan Carcillo to galvanize a Penguins team down 0-3 in the game. They soon scored five unanswered goals. These goals propelled the Penguins to their second ever series victory over the Flyers and eventually they earned the Stanley Cup that season.

5. Battle of I-94: Red Wings vs. Blackhawks

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CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 10: Bryan Bickell #29 of the Chicago Blackhawks shoots the puck past Brian Rafalski #28 of the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center on April 10, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks 4-3. (Photo by Jonathan

This rivalry has existed for over 80 years. Both teams are Original Six teams and now that the Blackhawks are dominant team in the NHL after years of dormancy, the rivalry is one of the best in the game.

The two met in the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field with Pavel Datsyuk and the Red Wings winning 6-4. They've met 16 times in the playoffs with both teams winning eight times. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks in the 2009 Western Conference Finals.

During the dormancy of the Blackhawks, the Red Wings won four Stanley Cups since their 1995 playoff meeting. However, Chicago finally got some sweet redemption with their 2010 Stanley Cup victory. It is certain that more fierce duels between the two clubs will be coming in the coming years.

4. Battle of the Broads: Flyers vs. Rangers

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NEW YORK - MARCH 6: Ryan Callahan #24 of the New York Rangers checks Braydon Coburn #5 of the Philadelphia Flyers during their game on March 6, 2011 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

New York and Philadelphia are separated by a two-hour drive. From football to hockey, these two cities have rivalries in every sport.

These two teams have played against each other in the playoffs in 10 series, with the Flyers winning six of the 10. In the regular season, the Flyers lead the all-time series 114-110-37.

Perhaps the greatest regular season match between these two bitter rivals came last season when the Flyers defeated the Rangers in a shootout to clinch a playoff spot. The Rangers missed out and the Flyers were able to make a run to the Stanley Cup.

It was announced recently that the 2012 Winter Classic will take place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia between the Flyers and the Rangers. There is no doubt that this will produce great storylines and the game will have plenty of physical action.

3. Red Sox vs. Yankees of Hockey: Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens

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MONTREAL, CANADA - FEBRUARY 24: Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs slides the puck past Roman Hamrlik #44 of the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on February 24, 2011 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated

If there is a rivalry that most closely resembles the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry in baseball, it's this one. These are two most storied franchises in Canada with two opposite histories.

They've played in 15 playoff series and Montreal has won eight of them. Even more impressively, the Canadiens have dominated the regular season series 333-279-88.

The Canadiens have 24 titles overall and the Maple Leafs have 13. The Maple Leafs, since 1967, have not won a Stanley Cup. The Canadiens, on the other hand, have won 10, which makes this similar to the whole Red Sox-Yankees rivalry and the fact that one team keeps winning and the other is hungry for a win.

Finally, these teams have met in the Stanley Cup Final six times in the pre-expansion era with Toronto winning four of the six series, so at least the Leafs have that to brag about.

With the Leafs in the doldrums of the NHL, this rivalry has died down a bit. But there is no question that once Toronto improves this rivalry will be healthy as new again.

2. Penguins vs. Capitals

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PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 21: Jeff Schultz #55 of the Washington Capitals clears the puck during the NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center on February 21, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Capitals defeated the Penguins 1-

There is a misconception that this rivalry is new. That it started when Ovechkin and Crosby entered the league.

This is definitely not true. The Penguins and Capitals have met in eight playoff series since 1991. The Crosby-Ovechkin dynamic has only intensified an already fiery rivalry. The Penguins have won seven of the eight series despite trailing in almost all of them at one point in the series.

The fact that they usually trail in the series means that each series has been exciting to the end. One unique aspect of the rivalry is that they're not in the same division and the rivalry still burns.

Three of the times when the Pens defeated Washington, it led to Stanley Cup victories, including the epic seven-game series in 2009 between Crosby's Pens and Ovechkin's Capitals.

In the 90s, it was Jagr and Lemieux against Adam Oates, Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig.

One of the more memorable games between the Penguins and Capitals was Petr Nedved's overtime winner in a long overtime game.

Finally, these two rivals were featured on HBO's documentary 24/7 which detailed the teams' road to the Winter Classic. This great award-winning documentary exemplified the rivalry close up and demonstrated why it stands as one of the greatest rivalries in the game. The Capitals ended up winning the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh 3-1.

1. Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

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BOSTON, MA - APRIL 27: Michael Ryder #73 of the Boston Bruins battles Brent Sopel #55 of the Montreal Canadiens in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 27, 2011 in Boston, Massa

There is no question. This is the greatest rivalry in hockey.

It's USA vs. Canada. It's two Original Six teams. It's divisional rivals. It's plenty of playoff showdowns.

It's the Bruins and the Canadiens.

There have been instances where Montreal fans have booed the Star-Spangled Banner and this has been followed by the Garden faithful cheering for O Canada.

There have been 33 playoff meetings between the two rivals. Montreal has won 24 of the 33 series. Like the Canadiens-Maple Leafs rivalry, Montreal has inflicted most of the damage on Boston, winning 24 cups in their history. Boston, on the other hand, has not won a Cup since 1972.

The Canadiens have also defeated the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final seven times. They won 18 straight series against the Bruins from 1946 to 1987.

One of the most brutal incidents in NHL history took place between the two teams. The Richard Riot which was caused by Rocket Richard's lengthy suspension after an on-ice incident against the Bruins, was not only a riot stemmed from hatred against the Bruins, but ethnic tension between French and English Canadians.

In the last decade, the rivalry has intensified. The teams seem to play each other every year in the playoffs. Since 2002, there have been five playoff meetings between the rivals and the Bruins have won the last two.

With both teams competitive each other and vying for the Stanley Cup annually, this rivalry has become what it once was.

Despite Montreal dominating Boston throughout history, the 87-year-old rivalry is the best in the game.