The Penguins vs. the Flyers, the Blackhawks vs. the Red Wings, and the Senators vs. the Maple Leafs are just some of the greatest and fiercest rivalries in the NHL. However, one which has been kept pretty quiet for some time now looks like its spark is back, and tensions have never been so high in the state of Florida.
Two teams who have been showered in glory throughout the 2020's, the Tampa Bay Lightning vs the Florida Panthers rivalry has taken a lot of steps as of late, and the fire and grit we are beginning to see again in Florida is exactly what the NHL has been wanting to see. Both have the best of the best, both have physicality and fearlessness, and now, it looks like a matchup of hatred more than just another game.
The Panthers have gotten the better of Tampa in recent years, winning the last two Stanley Cup's which included their humiliation over Tampa in the first round of last season's playoffs, dismantling the Lightning in a 4-1 series. However it was also a series which involved a lot of growing tension involving heavy hits, dirty physical plays, and a lot of fighting. It doesn't look like a normal rivalry anymore, and that fire will continue to burn as this season goes on.
Even before the season started, two preseason games between the two foes saw some deadly hits and a lot of playoff like physicality that ended in some pretty nasty scenes. The Lightning's Brandon Hagel was ejected from one of the games after an altercation with AJ Greer who was ultimately fined for roughing Hagel including punching and cross-checking, and at one point each team only had three players on each bench following a massive line brawl. For what was meant to be a preseason game, all it showed was how much they hate each other, and why a wicked rivalry will begin to be born this season.
In terms of rivalries in the NHL, we have teams like Chicago and Detroit with a lot of hatred, however the mix of poor teams, not having much to play for, and overall not a lot of reason to spark violence, the same with Anaheim and San Jose, and also the same Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. But this is what separates Tampa and Florida from the rest. They are two teams that are so hungry to win the cup, two teams with some of the best talent in the league, and two teams who thrive off of their physicality and ruthlessness, something not may rivalries have in the league at the moment.
Whether you're a neutral watching on, or a fan of either Tampa or Florida, this growing rivalry is what the league needed. Enough of two futile teams having minor spats over geographical rivalries, and more of big heavyweight teams, physical and strong taking each other to the buzzer, and giving the fans something to cheer about.