NEW YORK - With Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and Steve Yzerman on hand to honor the 600 goal milestones of Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan, the two Rangers did their best to put on a show for the Garden crowd.

The depleted Blueshirts, though, should have suited up those three NHL greats in order to have a better chance against the Islanders last night.

A 4-3 loss is as much to the credit of Jagr and Shanahan for keeping the team in the game, as it was their fault taking bad penalties, which led to Islander goals.

“We deviated a little but from the team game,” said coach Tom Renney. “We have to play a team game. We were doing all right tonight, then we took some bad penalties.”

Playing without Henrik Lundqvist and Michael Nylander due to the flu, while keeping Matt Cullen and Marek Malik on the sidelines with various leg injuries, the Rangers called up Ryan Callahan and Al Montoya from Hartford, played little used Thomas Pock, and gave Kevin Weekes another start in goal.

“[Those guys] are tough to replace,” said Jagr, who scored two goals [Nos. 15 and 16] on the night. “It is not easy. It is not an excuse. We need to find a way to win.”

The pregame ceremony - which saw both players receive silver sticks and featured Jagr’s parents and girlfriend and Shanahan’s family along with the NHL greats - and John Amirante’s rousing rendition of the National Anthem got what Renney called “the seven man” into it and behind the home team immediately. The Rangers came out strong.

They got on the board first after former Blueshirt Tom Poti - who was booed as loud as any opposing player this season at the Garden - went to the box with a tripping penalty 8:40 into the game. It took only 18 seconds for Shanahan to redirect a Karel Rachunek pass past Rick DiPietro [30 saves] for the early lead.

“We stayed with it [in the first] and tried to play through it,” Renney said.

Only a few seconds later, Jason Blake got a puck that Jagr lost and was able to wrist it past Weekes for his first of his three goals on the night to tie it.

“We came out in the first period and did a good job,” Shanahan said. “We came out with the first goal, but then they answered back. That could have been a real momentum changer for us. Unfortunately we didn’t seize it.”

In the second, though, things started to fall apart. Taking five penalties the first half of the period, the Rangers had a tough time stopping Blake, as he completed the Hat Trick. On his second goal, Shanahan and Jagr were both in the box with bad penalties, which they both wish they could do over again.

“I got sucked into that one,” said Shanahan, whose roughing call came after his fist connected with Brendan Witt‘s face.

Added Jagr, who held Sean Hill: “It wasn’t smart, but it’s part of the game. You don’t want to do it, but sometimes it happens.”

Blake finished his night off by ripping a slap shot past Weekes [22 saves] with Darius Kasparaitis in the box with his second infraction of the period.

Jagr did all he could to get his team back into the game with his two goals - after Alexi Yashin added the fourth Islander tally - but it was not enough for the Rangers this night.

Notes: Rachunek’s assist was his eighth of the season. Renney seemed pleased by the defenseman’s ability to shoot the puck on the power play....Jagr and Shanahan played on the same line at even strength for the first time this season, but not for the whole game....Weekes is 4-5-2 on the season...When Callahan played his 7:22, he was on the line with fellow Irishman Shanahan and Martin Straka.

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