Detroit Red Wings-Toronto Maple Leafs Matchup Has Lost Its Luster

The Wings' defense of the Stanley Cup starts on October 9. They will raise their 11th Stanley Cup banner and the puck will drop on a new season—and it will be against a familiar opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs. I think it's great that the NHL schedule has set up two original-six franchises to face each other on opening night, but let's be honest here. Due to the way the divisions are aligned and a ridiculous NHL schedule over the past few years, this series has very nearly died in the hearts of Detroit and Toronto fans. It still hangs by a thread. If you concentrate, you can still catch a glimpse of what used to be the greatest rivalry in the NHL. Sure, there's a number of other factors involved in the growing insignificance of the Detroit-Toronto match-up that have nothing to do with the NHL's division alignment or scheduling. The hate just isn't there anymore. Toronto to put it nicely, has fallen off the list of contenders for the Cup. However, if you really want evidence as to ... (link)