The Rangers' fanbase generally comes from the city's five boroughs, Westchester, Fairfield, and Rockland Counties, and from Northern and Central New Jersey, while the Islanders tend to draw fans from Nassau and Suffolk counties, Brooklyn, and parts of eastern Queens.
During their sweep of the Rangers in the 1981 semifinals, Islander fans started chanting "1940!" referring to the Rangers having the all-time longest drought without winning the Stanley Cup.