Yes. Sometimes there are "central wars" between Great Powers, sometimes there are "peripheral wars" between Great and Minor Powers (without direct conflict between Great Powers). Sure, there can be more "peripheral wars" in future, but the possibility of a non-nuclear minor conflict doesn't mean impossibility of a nuclear major conflict. As well, as existence of summer does not mean impossibility of winter. In some situations one side may decide that it is much safer to her to start a Central War, or escalate a Peripheral War, than allow enemy to continue his extremely provocative actions.
Let's talk about Cubans Missile Crisis. Why it occurred? The Russians decided, that American combination of unprotected IRBMs in Europe and long-range bombers (on unprotected bases) in the USA is an existantional treat for them, that Americans are pretty close to achieve possibility to destroy all their nuclear bases by a first counter-force strike. They decided that in this situation "good war" is better than a "bad peace" (because this "bad peace" surely will be finished by a "bad war"). There were less than forty SAC bases in the USA and sixty SS-4 and SS-5 should have been enough to destroy all of them. According their plan Soviet Forces should have achieve full readiness in March of 1963.
When the US intelligence realized, that the Russians are creating such a possibility, they also decided, that the war (limited or even all-out) now will be better choice, than allow Russians to keep their locked and cocked gun pointed straight at their heads. Later sides found a mutually acceptable solution - "arms control". The Russians withdrawed their missiles from Cuba, the USA withdrawed their missiles from Europe. Both sides "informally signed" the Mutual Homicide Pact with their civilians as hostages.
There are three basic types of "gaps":
1) Development gap - one side invented something, that another side didn't.
2) Inventory gap - one side have bought something that another side didn't.
3) Operational gap - one side can use their weapon in the way that another side can't.
And it is operational gap, that really kills.