Rivals Take It Outside

Lets take this outside. That's what the NHL is doing over the next two nights. And they doing it with two of its more fierce rivals. Coming to a nationwide audience from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, we get the two Stadium Series games for this year. First up its the New Jersey Devils playing host to the Philadelphia Flyers. Then tomorrow afternoon the New York Islanders serve as the home team as they take on the New York Rangers.

Last time the event was held in the New York, Metro area was at Yankee Stadium in 2014. It was just between the three teams, the Islanders Rangers and Devils. Now we throwing the Flyers into this mix. So with that being said, lets take a look back at these two rivalries.

With the first game up tonight between the Devils and Flyers, there have been some wild nights between these two hockey clubs. Known as the Battle Of The Jersey Turnpike, it started out as a quite rivalry. After the Devils relocated from Denver in 1982, there wasn't much between the two teams other then proximity. New Jersey was still trying to find its footing in those parts. The rivalry with the Flyers didn't really start taking off until they had their first playoff meeting in 1995. New Jersey pulled off what was considered an upset beating the Flyers that year, and that planted the seed. They would go back and forth in the division over the next few years. By 2000, things had started to heat up.

This rivalry really took off during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000. New Jersey had blown a lead in the division late in the season, with the Flyers passing them. They met in the conference finals and the tide turned there. All thanks to a Scott Stevens hit on Eric Lindros. We all know the hit. It pretty much started the beginning of the end for Lindros career, as he was not even close to the same player again after that hit. That hit took this rivalry to a whole different level.

There have been up and down moments for both of these franchises but they still find a way to be thorn in each other sides during the regular season, no matter where they are in the standings. Now they get to take it outdoors.

Same can be said for the Islanders and Rangers, who are taking this rivalry outside for the second time in history. First was in 2014 when the two teams met outdoors at Yankee Stadium. the Battle of New York all started when the Islanders came into the league with expansion in 1972 and were dropped into the same division as the Rangers. The Isles were looked as the little brother when they came into the league and didn't get respect from the boys from Broadway. But the Islanders found their footing and success quicker than expected and passed the Rangers, in a sense. But the rivalry really seemed to take off thanks to Denis Potvin's check on Ulf Nilsson, resulting in Nilsson breaking his ankle.

There have been many memorable games played between the two, a lot of which happened in the playoffs. The Islanders upset on JP Parise goal to get the Islanders their first playoff win in 1975. 1981 was memorable for the end to end rush made by Bob Bourne. 1984 the series was ended by Kenny Morrow with his overtime winner as the Islanders were making their drive for five. The last time the clubs actually met in the playoffs was 1994, a series which the Rangers swept on their way to a cup championship. 

The difference between the two is that the Flyers and Devils has been more of an equal rivalry over the years, in terms of batteling for playoff spots and division titles and what not. islanders and Rangers has been more of a locational rivalry. There's no denying that the rivalry has been fierce and produced some highly entertaining hockey over the years.

Taking it outside the next two days is going to make for some entertaining and must see TV.