Off the Post: NHL fans can expect unparalleled matchups between team rivals this season

Storylines have been plentiful since the NHL dropped the first puck Jan. 13. Stanley Cup favorites heading into the campaign, such as the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals, have gotten off to terrific starts. Other teams, such as the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens, have gotten out of the gates hotter than many predicted.

There have been some fascinating player developments as well. A year ago, Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan was in the NHL Players’ Association program seeking treatment for alcoholism.

On Jan. 19, he became the first Detroit player to score four goals in his first three games while wearing the winged wheel. On the other end of the spectrum, the Pierre-Luc Dubois saga in Columbus involved drama usually found in the NBA.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the league has had to deal with obstacles in the early going. Only four teams — the Dallas Stars, Arizona Coyotes, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning — have permitted fans in their arenas. 

With most venues lacking the full-throated approval of a game-tying goal or hardy check, the matchups are still a bit hollow. Not to mention, the Stars and Carolina Hurricanes have had to postpone multiple games due to COVID-19 cases in their organizations. 

So while the NHL has been dealing with ups and downs early on, one aspect has consistently fostered entertaining hockey: watching teams compete exclusively against divisional opponents.

Of the four major sports in America, hockey does the best job at conjuring up emotions — mostly hatred and annoyance. That is why the best rivalries in sports usually come from the NHL. Some teams, and often more notably their fans, have been battling for almost a century. The sport is fueled with tension, and tempers can flare at any moment. Those sentiments only intensify every time players compete against one another. 

With these four new division realignments, these teams are slated to play each other a ton during the regular season. The three American divisions each consist of eight teams. To come out with 56 games, each squad will duke it out with their seven opponents eight times.

The league had to get slightly more creative with the Canadian conference. Since it has seven franchises, the math is not quite even. Teams will face one another either nine or 10 times. 

These players will loathe one another by the time the playoffs begin in May. Hockey fans across the globe have to be salivating over the bad blood about to be formed.

Some of the best rivalries in North American sports — Flyers vs. Penguins, Blackhawks vs. Red Wings, Bruins vs. Rangers — are all about to be rejuvenated. Not to mention, there are some terrific player rivalries the NHL loves pushing to broader audiences. The eight occasions Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin lock up will practically be must-see television. 

During a normal season, an NHL team plays their divisional opponents four times, the other teams in their conference three times and those in the other conference twice. While that does give each fan base a chance to see every star player in the sport, it would be great if the NHL could match up divisional opponents more often.

But regardless of what happens going forward, NHL fans should savor the opportunity to consume only divisional contests this year. The goals are going to be riveting, the saves will be heart-stopping and the scrums will be long and nasty.

Since most arenas will be without fans, the intensity will be created by sheer agitation. The pests of the league, Brad Marchand, Brendan Gallagher, Corey Perry and others, will be living in their opponents’ heads and under their skin. Not to mention, multiple rivalries — most notably The Battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames — have really started to boil up again in recent years.

Hate and history go hand in hand in hockey. Those frustrations always build the more teams go against each other. As the grind of this peculiar season drags on, players will be looking for ways to get an edge. Those edges will only sharpen as they get tired of seeing, hearing and smelling those in their division.