Lemieux becomes sixth with 1,700 points
By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer
October 29, 2003
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Mario Lemieux became the sixth player in NHL history with 1,700 points, setting up Penguins defenseman Dick Tarnstrom's goal late in the first period Wednesday night against the Islanders.
Lemieux took Konstantin Koltsov's pass along the right wing boards, slipped the puck between the legs of New York defenseman Janne Niinimaa, then made a backhanded pass to the slot to Tarnstrom for his second goal of the season.
Lemieux joins Wayne Gretzky (2,857), Gordie Howe (1,850), Mark Messier (1,846), Marcel Dionne (1,771) and Carolina Hurricanes captain Ron Francis (1,760 points) on the 1,700-point list.
The Penguins owner-player has 683 goals and 1,017 assists in an injury- and retirement-interrupted career that began 19 years ago. He became the second fastest to reach 1,700 points by doing so in his 887th game. Gretzky, who played with much better players in Edmonton at the start of his career than Lemieux did in Pittsburgh, got his 1,700th point in his 711th game.
Dionne needed 1,257 games to get his 1,700th point, while Messier needed 1,461 games and Howe and Francis each needed 1,567 games.
Lemieux has one goal and seven assists in eight games this season.
Lemieux sat out the 1994-95 season for health reasons and retired at the end of the 1996-97 season until unexpectedly returning midway through the 2000-01 season. During his retirement, he and an investment group purchased the Penguins in federal bankruptcy court.
Lemieux needs 17 goals to become the seventh in NHL history with 700 goals. He would join Gretzky, Howe, Dionne, Brett Hull, Phil Esposito and Mike Gartner in the 700-goal club.
Only Gretzky, Howe and Dionne have both 1,700 points and 700 goals.
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