Rivalries are a big part of what makes the NHL appealing. Any hockey game is great, but when you add an element of dislike for your opponent, the game gets even more exciting.
The San Jose Sharks have some great rivalries, but which ones are the most intense right now?
Rivalries are rated based on their history, geography and particular games or incidents that add to their intensity level. Playoff history adds more to any rivalry, as does facing a lot of former teammates in any given game. Also, recent history will be ranked higher than events that happened 20 or more years ago.
Keep in mind that these rankings are based on right now, at the start of the 2014-15 season. The fact that two teams once had a burning hatred for each other but no longer do will significantly lower the ranking on this list.
The team that narrowly missed making this list, the Detroit Red Wings, is an example of a matchup that used to be extremely intense but has faded a bit in recent years, especially since the Wings have moved to the Eastern Conference.
Feel free to comment on any team mentioned here or suggest a team you feel belongs but was omi ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Brad Kurtzberg
Ranking the San Jose Sharks’ 5 Biggest Rivals in 2014-15
August 19th, 2014 by Brad Kurtzberg Leave a reply »
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