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Before we had an NHL franchise, Ottawa was composed mostly of Leaf fans and Habs fans. There are still plenty of both, but Montreal fans are a fickle bunch, and most of them were more than happy to switch their colours once Ottawa started getting some wins. I was a Nordiques fan myself, I was pretty disappointed that they won a cup the first year they were moved to Colorado, but that's another story. There are still tons of Toronto fans around here, and the rivalry is pretty friendly (among the fans, that is).
Among the players, it's a different thing. Seems the Leafs are always eager to gloat when they win, and are quick to make excuses when they lose. And it's not just against Ottawa either.
Another interesting thing is that Toronto was moved to the Eastern Conference for the specific reason that they would be able to play Ottawa more than once or twice a year. The league wanted the two teams to build a rivalry. It seems to have worked, Ottawa vs. Toronto games are always the first to sell out, and are always entertaining to watch.
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