Pittsburgh and Washington, United (in Successful Rebuilding)

The Capitals and Penguins are viewed, understandably, as fierce rivals, but with this second-round meeting in the 2009 NHL postseason, they should also be assessed as Grade A exhibits in how durably quality hockey clubs can be assembled. The fanbase in Toronto, most particularly, should pay attention. And you Rangers' fans might not want to dose off in the upper deck of one of the new New York baseball stadiums just yet.This is a rivalry predicated upon the searing memories of seven series -- almost all of them classics, despite the Penguins' wildly imbalanced 6-1 edge in prosperity. In their previous meetings, the Penguins were defined, by and large, by their offensive firepower (Mario, Mega-Mullet wearing no. 68, Ron Francis, Paul Coffey, Petr Nedved, etc.) versus the perennial blue-collar, lunch pail ethos of the Caps. Pittsburgh won two Stanley Cups in the 1990s, but it's not delusional to suggest that some of their toughest tours of their richly successful postseaso...