Just like Jason Chimera, New York Islanders fans hate the New York Rangers. It’s not something that we actively pursue. It’s just something that is.
It doesn’t matter that the Islanders are 15 points back of the Rangers this games means something because we just don’t like them. Local bragging rights matter, and right now bragging right are up for grabs.
In the two meetings between the rival clubs, the series is split at one a piece. The Rangers took the first meeting at the start of the season 5-3. The Islanders responded a month later with a 4-2 win of their own.