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    The Bruins vs. the Rangers - The NHL's best rivalry

    Scott Levesque (@scottlevesque)
    Online Content Editor

    Rivalries.

    It's one of the most important aspects in any great and long standing sports organization. When it comes to Boston sports we've had an embarrassment of riches.

    The Red Sox verse the Yankees, the Celtics verse the Lakers, the Patriots verse the Manning brothers, and of course, the Bruins verse the Rangers. So where in history does the Bruins and Rangers rivalry rank among the NHL's best?

    As Discover closed out their survey for the Thanksgiving ShowDown, they surveyed a group of hockey fans and asked which hockey rivalry, in their mind, was the best to date.

    31 percent think the Chicago Blackhawks versus the Detroit Red Wings is the NHL’s best rivalry. Coming in second place was the Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Philadelphia Flyers at 17 percent. The New York Rangers versus the Boston Bruins finished third at 16 percent. 

    Let's be honest, we all know a good sports rivalry when we see one, but what truly makes a GREAT sports rivalry? More specifically, what makes a rivalry in the NHL great?

    37 percent of hockey fans think the historical significance between teams is the most important factor in determining an NHL rivalry. Twenty-five percent said geographic proximity, while 13 percent said number of times a pair of teams met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

    The fans have spoken and it's fairly clear. Rivalries are like a fine wine, they only get better with a significant amount of age.

    * I am currently a member of the Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown Blogger Program and I am being compensated for my involvement. While Discover provides me material and necessary resources, all statements and sentiment in BruinsLife are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products, Inc. and its affiliates.