Chicago Blackhawks: Is the Rivalry with the Vancouver Canucks Built to Last?

The Chicago Blackhawks return from Florida, three points in hand, to take on what has become their most notorious rival in the Western Conference.

Sunday's date with the Vancouver Canucks in the United Center is the first meeting of the two teams since Vancouver's overtime victory in Game 7 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series. A number of the faces have changed, but the air should be thick with dislike on both sides.

The Canucks have struggled to get on track this season, coming in with a 6-7-1 record. Chicago currently sits atop the conference with 19 points. The roles are reversed from last season, when it was the Blackhawks who struggled in the first two months. In a good rivalry, you can throw out the records.

So...is this a good one?

Does the Chicago/Vancouver rivalry have the foundation to grow, or will we see a fade in intensity in the 2011-12 season?

Some would contend that the rivalry didn't really get started until the Canucks came out on top last spring. After Chicago had bested them in the playoffs the previous two seasons, Vancouver was able to finish off the 'Hawks.

It was a physical series, capped in its brutality by Raffi Torres' hit on Brent Seabrook behind the 'Hawks net in Game 3. Chicago faced-off with Torres when they played Phoenix last month with little of the intensity of last April's transgressions.

Guys like Kevin Bieksa and Alex Burrows are still with the Canucks. Many of the combatants of previous skirmishes are with other organizations, however.

Daniel Carcillo and Jamal Mayers now patrol the ice for the Blackhawks. Maxim Lapierre and Dale Weise have had active dance cards on Vancouver's roster. It doesn't seem far-fetched to predict gloves hitting the ice when these guys meet.

Carcillo picked up his first goal in the Indian head sweater Friday night in Tampa. He likely could be itching to get his first round of fisticuffs underway.

Whether Sunday's tilt is marked by the throwing of hands or simply another hotly-contested struggle between two talented teams, the question remains as to how long this rivalry will last.

With the Sedin twins, Ryan Kessler and Roberto Luongo coupled with 'Hawks stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, we should be able to count on both teams remaining contenders in the Western Conference for the immediate future.

With the impending chances of Detroit embarking for the Eastern Conference, there certainly could be an opening for a perennial rival. Will that spot be filled by the Canucks, or will this recent period of dislike between playoff contenders give way to an opponent who resides closer to Chicago geographically?

I guess we'll have to watch the four games between the two teams this season. It gets underway Sunday night.