Before Gene Carr became somewhat of a cultural icon, before he buddied up with the Eagles and Glenn Frey and became the inspiration for the band’s “New Kid in Town” megahit when he played in Los Angeles, he was a 20-year-old trying to fit into the best Rangers’ team since the 1940 Cup champions.

In New York in the spring of 1972, Carr was the flashy blond with perhaps the greatest straight-away speed in the NHL — a blond demon for Manhattan — and was supposed to provide the missing link after having been acquired early in the 1971-72 season.

That’s not quite how it had played out. Drafted fourth overall by St. Louis in 1971 as a speed-and-skill guy on the wing, Carr scored eight goals in 60 games while primarily skating in the left wing spot on the Bulldog Line beside Walt Tkaczuk and Billy Fairbairn. He had not, at age 20, lived up to advance notices that had been delivered by general manager-coach Emile Francis.

The Blueshirts rolled nevertheless. They rolled even after Jean Ratelle’s Year of His Life (46-63-109 in 63 games) came to a screeching half on March 1, when he sustained a broken ankle after being hit by a shot from teammate Dale Rolfe.