5 most compelling rivalry games of the NHL home openers

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 07: Pittsburgh Penguins center Riley Sheahan (15) handles the puck while Washington Capitals Defenseman John Carlson (74) defends during the overtime period. The Washington Capitals went on win 2-1 in the overtime period against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2018, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. The Capitals won the series 4-2 and advance to the Eastern Conference Final. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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VANCOUVER, BC – DECEMBER 17: Alexander Burmistrov #42 of the Vancouver Canucks checks Sean Monahan #23 of the Calgary Flames during their NHL game at Rogers Arena December 17, 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)”n /

2. Flames vs. Canucks – Oct. 3, 2018

A rivalry so nice they scheduled it twice. The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames will be the opponent for their respective home openers, and if you think that was a coincidence, think again.

This rivalry may not be as heated as it was when Matt Cooke scored the game-tying goal in 2004, or when John Tortorella tried to fight the Flames in their locker room, but the hatred is still there. Part of that is because they’re no longer consistent playoff contenders, but the Canucks’ last playoff series was against the Flames and it was excellent.

The Canucks’ biggest move may have come before the offseason, and that was when the Sedins retired. Now that their franchise cornerstones for the past decade are gone, they can finally look towards building their future core. At the center of that core is Brock Boeser, and he’ll go up against Johnny Gaudreau in his first two games of the season. That’s why, even in this all-Canadian matchup, having two Americans front and center should make this intriguing for viewers south of the border.

Even though the Flames need to rebuild as well, they won’t have a pick until the fourth round of the NHL Draft. However, they still have free agency to look forward to as well as a new era with Bill Peters behind the bench. He’ll be looking to make a good first impression with his new team, although given the person he’s replacing, that shouldn’t be too hard.

It’s been a long time since either of these sets of fans have felt anything close to resembling optimism, but a win or two over their hated rivals can go a long way towards renewing some faith.

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