Rivalries Galore in 2020-21 Schedule

The 2020-21 National Hockey League schedule and divisional realignments was born of pandemic-driven necessities but, from a hockey standpoint, the silver lining of each team's 56-game schedule is that it maximizes traditional rivalries.

The intensity of rivalries ebb and flow, almost inevitably reaching high tide when both teams involved meet in the playoffs and then remain contenders for a number of years and ebbing when one or both teams has been in a lean period for a number of years. Within the eight-team Eastern DIvision, where the Flyers will play their entire schedule this season, Philadelphia has had periods of heated rivalries with each and every team.
"The Patrick Division; we're bringing it back!" joked Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher, referring to the Flyers wars of the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s with divisional arch-rivals such as the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Actually, to be precise, the NHL has combined much of the old Patrick Division (Flyers, Islanders, Rangers, Capitals, Penguins and New Jersey Devils) with two clubs from the old Adams Division (the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres). The Flyers have never before been in the same regular season division as the Bruins or Sabres, but the Flyers and those teams have had waves of animosity with both teams even apart from the fact that Philadelphia's 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup championships came at the direct expense, respectively, of Boston and Buffalo.
History adds context to a rivalry but it takes the urgency of having something important to play for right now that turns up the heat. First and foremost, the brevity and tightly packed nature of the schedule (56 games in 115 days) from start to finish means that no team can afford prolonged losing streaks or getting dominated in the season series by a particular opponent. Fall behind, and it's going to be tough to catch up in the standings when half of your divisional rivals are guaranteed to pick up two points on each given night of games. There's no maintaining the standings status quo within the Division, such as normally would be the case if both your team and a divisional rival lose to a club in the Western Conference or the Atlantic Division in a normal season. Additionally, the sheer number of games against each opponent is a recipe for animosity.
"It's going to make for some interesting games. Playing the same team over and over again, eight times, there's bound to be bad blood. There's bound to be some big hits and bit plays. There's a lot of chance for some bad blood to turn over into the next game. Obviously we're going to get used to each other, system-wise. Come the third or fourth time we play each other, everyone is going to know every player on the ice and the ins and outs of the systems they run. What I'm excited about is that it's all going to come down to work ethic and making sure whoever works harder is going to be winning at the end of these games," Flyers center Kevin Hayes said.
It's very unlikely that we'll ever go back to the days where most every rivalry game was punctuated by fights and "message sending" . That's just not how the NHL game is played anymore, nor are the current-day NHL Rule Book or contemporary roster compositions conducive to it (i.e., fourth line forwards and third-pair defensemen have to be able nowadays to skate regular shifts). However, the frequency of the games between each team --- especially the sheer volume of back-to-back meetings with the same opponent - is likely to bring out a bit more physicality and increased focus on line matchups. There won't be many surprises, either.
"We won't have to do a whole bunch of pre-scouting as the season goes on. I think our coaches will save a lot of time on the pre-scouting. You're only playing seven teams all year. I'm just thrilled we get a chance to play. The league and the union did a tremendous job getting this all together. It's going to be exciting. It's equal footing for everybody. It'll be tough, but I can't wait. It'll be fun," Fletcher said.
In the days following Christmas and Boxing Day, as we count down to the start of the Flyers training camp on Jan. 3, PhiladelphiaFlyers.com will spotlight one Eastern Division rival per day. We'll discuss the history of the Flyers' rivalry with each team, last year's season series, key changes that each opponent made during the offseason and look at how Philly matches up, at least on paper, against club heading into this season.