Who are the Penguins #1 rival?

With the Crosby/Ovechkin battle reaching a crescendo, as well as how much both teams/management/fans dislike each other, I was really close to picking Washington. And after this playoffs (win or lose) they may have taken the crown.

But I have to cast my vote for Philadelphia. That’s the team you’re groomed to hate from the time you’re a kid as a Penguins’ fan.

Hands down.

I know the “right” answer is Philly, but since I’m a relatively new hockey fan (10-12 years or so) and I haven’t been

groomed to hate from the time you’re a kid as a Penguins’ fan

so I’d be honest and go with the Caps…

Says the Michigan fan who hates Ohio State far more than Michigan State :)

For the Red Wings, the Pens reign supreme becuase the Colorado rivalry has died down, the Wings and Ducks haven’t crossed paths in the playoffs when it matters all that often, and Chicago is still the new kid on the block. Your team is it, by default. And because you beat us on the biggest stage last year. That might play into it slightly.

as an out-of-state Pens fan, I have to vote for the Crapitals. Hate is too strong of a word, but I dislike Ovi and the Caps very badly. So much so that I, as an American, was rooting for Canada in the Olympics just so Crosby can use that against Ovechkin. I don’t need the media to hype up this rivalry, it’s pretty clear every time they play.

Have to go with Philly, though Caps fans are making it very hard to enjoy playing them. And it seems that I’m not the only one who gets the feeling that the poll over on WiM is fueled purely by butthurt…

Philly rivalry is just too one-sided lately :)

The other two are in this moment. Without divisional connections, they may well wither. The Flyers always have been, are now, and always will be hated rivals.

I’m voting Detroit here. Besides my obvious glee at having an out of conference rival, the two teams and fanbases hate each other, they’ve split series in both the regular season ( One win each this year and last year) and post season (One cup each on the other’s ice), and it makes for great hockey when they face each other.

One of the differences between the Flyers and the Caps for me is the degree of dirty play. You know that you will get play that at least walks the line of ‘dirty’ every time you play the Flyers. They really try to own the “broad street bullies” name. I’d say something similar is true of Ovi, but not really the entire Capitals team.

I vote for Philadelphia as well. I don’t see anybody beating the amount of hatred that goes on during these games.

For me, it’s the Flyers. So far, the Caps rivalry is pretty much one way. It’s tough to build up that good, searing hate for them when so many of my best memories are of the Pens finding new ways to beat them in the playoffs. On the other hand, living among some of their more rabid fans these past couple of years has changed my thinking a little.

Detroit would be a distant 5th behind Rangers and Devils.

 Have to go with Flyers. Even when Pens were struggling they played their hardest against Philly.

And the fact that Washington’s fans really and truly do not bother me as much as Philly fans. I wish we would annex Philly over to New Jersey.

I hate Philly. No offense to Washington, but they don’t fire me up as much as Philly does. Going into those games, you know a questionable hit will happen (or bite if you’re Scott Hartnell). Or that their emotions will get the better of them at some point in the game (I’m looking at you, Daniel Carcillo). Or a Flyers goalie is going to make a boneheaded play to alter the course of the game. And now Richards (my least favorite player) has a gold medal because of Sid….to hang with his questionable hits and “leadership.” Once Ovechkin starts playing less recklessly, I can respect the Caps. I’ll never respect the Flyers or their city. No contest, Filthadelphia sucks.

Gotta be Philadelphia, but it seems everyone’s forgotten that we’re supposed to be big Rangers haters in Pittsburgh. I just can’t even make myself care about them let alone hate.

Hands down. Just because Washington struck gold in the draft in recent years (not unlike ourselves), doesn’t magically make them our rivals. There’s a playoff history there, but it mainly consists of us thoroughly owning them. This rivalry is something the media fabricated to get better ratings.

 Detroit…yea, they beat us in the SFC and nobody will ever forget that, but we came right back the next season and beat them, and we did it on their home ice. 2 playoff series doesn’t make for a rivalry.

Pens vs. Philly speaks for itself.

to hell w/them all! After reading the detroit free press, i’m really leaning toward Detroit! Can’t believe i said that?? Zetterberg’s a little wuss….seriously, could you imagine sid sitting there while another guy challenges you like that?? Detroit thinks their entitled to the cup. After them whining about our fans booing them in 2008, and then draper (seriously buddy, retire) bitching about sid not shaking hands. Excuse us for taking the reigns!

Philly by a wide margin. I want respect the Red Wings but want to beat them every time, and I dislike the Capitals and want to see them lose, but I hate the Flyers and want to see them die in a fire. Still, the Flyers have sucked enough lately that the Pit/Was rivalry has become the more exciting, at least for now, but it’s not the one I’m most passionate about.

If I’m looking for a rivalry to breed fights, I always look to Philadelphia. There’s always bad blood going when the two match up.

I’d have to go with Philly. And I’m not old.

I agree with thinking I should say Flyers but also feel that the more recent answer would have to be Washington. But I still think the history that exists between Pittsburgh and Philly is enough to fuel that rivalry for a few more years.

No amount of time will pass to make me forget the lean years prior to Sid and Geno, when they would allow the transplanted scumbags from the “schools of higher learning” surrounding the Igloo (under the college rush program) to come in and run rampant wearing their orange and black…

By the way, that kid holding the Flyers shirt needs a little spelling lesson.

It seems the consensus for the biggest rivalry for the Pens is the Flyers by what I have read. I really would have thought there would have been more votes for Capitals because of the number of playoff battles they have shared in the past and that great series last year. Although I enjoy the rivalry with the Pens in recent years as a long time Flyers fan I would have to go Rangers. Good article and comments Hooks.

born and raised in philadelphia.
i’ve gotta,100%, say philly.

We’re honored, guys. Truly.

As a diehard fan of my professional teams (Penguins, Kings, Lakers, Dodgers, Seahawks), I have experienced many devastating losses as a fan. None compares to Keith Primeau’s goal in 5OT because none has come at the expense of my most hated rival in such a depressing fashion. I’ve never been so deflated as a fan. Until Ovechkin scores a goal like that in multiple overtime in a momentum shifting game in the playoffs, the Caps are merely flys on the wall to be swatted away. I’ve been a Pens fan since ‘98 when I started watching hockey as a kid and Thugadelphia has always been intense, even in the regular season. You could just see it on the ice how much even the players disliked each other and I’ve loathed them since. Just because we got the monkey off our back and beat them two years straight doesnt mean they aren’t our biggest rival.

If you still dislike a team even when you are in a period of dominance over them and you take every win against them with an extra bit of delight, then that team is your rival, even if a team like the Wings or Caps might have your number in a season or two. So Philly is the #1 rival, without a doubt.

That said, I can’t stand Detroit as an Angeleno who watched Detroit bounce the Kings and Ducks from the playoffs countless times and who always rooted for the Devils and Avs deep in the playoffs and Finals back in my early days of watching hockey because the Pens and Kings could never make it that far. That made our Cup win so much sweeter that it came at the hands of the Wings(via Philly in the first round). Since I live in Jersey now and attend Devils games from time to time, the hate for Philly is doubled. Take into account that Flyers fans (like Phillies fans) are as arrogant as their players are filthy and you have my most hated hockey team, by far. Detroit is second, the Rangers and Canadiens and their likewise arrogant fans are in a close tie for third. Washington isn’t really on my radar until they break our hearts in the playoffs but they are very impressive rival who I respect and fear simultaneously.

Just my two cents