Which rivalry is more intense, the Canucks or the Bruins?

Over the years, the Vancouver Canucks have seen a fair amount of bitter rivalries; but, at the moment, some of those rivalries are starting to fade.

The order of Canucks rivals has started to shift, maybe as a result of scheduling conflicts or a rival team that has struggled for a few years.

The rivalry that was forged between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins during their seven-game Stanley Cup Finals series last year is, in the opinion of many casual fans, the best in the league. Sadly, the two teams have only met once this season—a few weeks ago—due to the Bruins’ membership in the Eastern Conference. The game was the best of the season, just as everyone had predicted.

However, since they only play once a year—unless they square off in the Finals in 2012—this rivalry isn’t the Canucks’ top foe right now.

The rankings of the Canucks’ current rivals are as follows:

1) The Chicago Blackhawks
2) The Boston Bruins
3) The Flames of Calgary
4) The Sharks of San Jose
5) The Maple Leafs of Toronto
The Bruins rivalry was ranked higher than rivalries with the Flames and Sharks, which may surprise some, but in all honesty, the animosity surrounding this rivalry must rank in the top two.

The geographical rivalry and overall animosity between the two communities have kept the flames/Canucks rivalry blazing even if Calgary has struggled to field a competitive club in recent years.

2011 saw the start of a new rivalry between San Jose and Vancouver in the Western Conference Finals, and it’s quite possible that the two teams will face off again in the postseason this year.

Even if the rivalry is new, you can be sure that these two clubs will compete for many more seasons if realignment takes place.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks rivalry is more akin to a rivalry between two cities. Arguably Canada’s two greatest cities, yet most of the time the animosity stems from the fact that one person supports the Leafs while the other supports the Canucks. The reasons for the abundance of hate are truly not clear, but it nevertheless exists and always will.

The rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks must ultimately surpass that between the Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks. The Blackhawks and Canucks have met 34 times in the last three seasons, including 19 playoff games.

While the seven-game Finals with the Bruins was undoubtedly competitive, the game a few weeks ago exceeded expectations.

After being defeated by the Blackhawks in two straight seasons, Vancouver overcame them in the playoffs last year thanks to an overtime goal by Alexandre Burrows in Game 7 of the first round.

The rivalry between the Canucks and the Bruins has all the makings of a fantastic rivalry. However, if realignment occurs twice a year and the clubs only play once every few seasons, or if the likelihood of playing in the Finals again is not very high, it can’t be the Canucks’ best current rivalry.

It possesses the necessary hatred; in fact, the Canucks and Bruins are arguably the most loathed teams in the league, so if an outside fan had to choose one, they definitely wouldn’t pick either.

For as long as players like those on their current squad remain in the league, the Bruins will be the Canucks’ fiercest Eastern adversary.

But for now, nothing compares to the rivalry between the Blackhawks and Canucks. Among the Canucks’ current rivalries, the Bruins/Canucks rivalry is unquestionably the best, but nothing compares to a Canucks and Blackhawks game.