Despite a disappointing second round loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers have a lot to be happy about heading into next year, especially in the eyes of two of the best players to ever don Broadway Blue, Rod Gilbert and Pat LaFontaine.

“The Rangers are definitely in an upswing,” Gilbert, the Rangers all-time leading scorer, said.

Playing all 18 of his NHL seasons for the Rangers, Gilbert recorded 406 goals and 1021 points from 1960-1978 as one of the greatest and most popular players in Ranger history, especially for being a member of the GAG, or Goal-A-Game, line with Vic Hadfield and Jean Ratelle. The Hall-of-Famer was also an eight-time NHL All-Star and was a member of Team Canada in the legendary 1972 Summit Series against the powerhouse Soviet Union team.

The Montreal native has been doing public relations work for the Rangers for many years and appears frequently at team-sponsored events. As such, he continues to follow the team closely.

According to Gilbert, the Rangers just didn’t have luck on their side when they lost in five games to Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

“It’s all about breaks,” said Gilbert, whose number, seven, was the first number ever retired by the Rangers. “The Rangers got the majority of the breaks against the Devils, but they didn’t get any against the Penguins. Some of the calls were lousy in the first game, some of the calls on Crosby. We go up 3-0 in that first game, we blow that game. You know, I think some of that is the inexperience and some of that probably won’t reoccur next year.”

LaFontaine, one of the greatest American hockey players ever, had similar sentiments about the Blueshirts’ playoff highs and lows.

“The Rangers had an amazing first round,” said LaFontaine. “They ran into a very young, inspired and talented team. A few breaks here and there, that series could have gone seven games. You got to have not only the skill the desire and the passion but you need some luck and the Penguins got those bounces.”

Drafted in 1983 by the New York Islanders, LaFontaine spent eight excellent seasons on Long Island before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 1991. LaFontaine had three amazing seasons in Western New York, including a 148-point effort in 1992-93, but he also spent most of three other seasons on the injured list due to a series of concussions. In 1997, he was traded to the Rangers, where he spent the final season of his career, scoring 62 points in 67 games. The season would be his last, however, as another concussion caused him to call it quits at the age of 34.

These days, LaFontaine devotes much of his time toward working with his charity, the Companions in Courage Foundation, which does what it can to improve the lives of sick children.

The Hall-of-Famer is still passionate about the game, however. LaFontaine pointed to the first game, when the Rangers blew a 3-0 lead to Pittsburgh, as the factor that led to the team’s downfall.

“You look back at that first game, it was so critical,” LaFontaine explained. “I often think, I wonder what kind of the series it might have been if they had pulled that game out.”

The strong performance of youngsters like Brandon Dubinsky, Marc Staal, Nigel Dawes and others means that the Rangers should be a strong team for a while, according to Gilbert, even if veterans like Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan don’t return next season.

“If these players feel that they don’t want to return, I’m sure [Rangers President and General Manager] Glen Sather will explore the free agent market,” said Gilbert. “There are some veterans who might be interested in coming here, especially knowing that we do have a good nucleus of young players. So that might appeal to some veterans to come this way and get the big one, win the Stanley Cup.

“We have the kid in Russia [2007 first round pick Alexei Cherepanov] that’s supposed to be phenomenal, maybe like another Ovechkin. A player like that can make a difference.”

Neither Gilbert or LaFontaine were surprised by the success of the Detroit Red Wings this season, with both players acknowledging the rising impact of European players and their style of play on the league.

“The influence of the Europeans has definitely played a big role in the way that the game is played,” said Gilbert. “A lot of the officiating and the encouragement of the non-hooking has pleased a lot of fans. I’d rather see a skilled game than a bunch of hooking and slashing. The game has taken a turn for the best.”

Standing 5′10” and weighing just 180 lbs., LaFontaine would have benefited greatly from the rule changes if he had played in the league today. Like many Ranger fans, the St. Louis native wishes he could have played longer for the Blueshirts.

“The always treated me so well here,” LaFontaine said. “I learned a lot about how to be a man from guys like Adam Graves, Mark Messier and Rod Gilbert, too,” recalled LaFontaine. “They were great examples for me.”