Until Paul Coffey, the NHL had never had a defenseman with 1,000 career assists.
On Wednesday night, Coffey became the first defenseman to reach the milestone, joining Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Marcel Dionne. Coffey's drop pass set up a goal by Igor Larionov late in the first period, helping the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1."Wayne called me between the first and second periods," said Coffey, who got many of his assists playing with Gretzky on Edmonton's great teams of the 1980s.
"He said `You've only got about five or six hundred more to go until you catch me.' If I would've been thinking, I would've said, `Oh, I thought it was the president. Who are you?' "
Coffey also leads defensemen in career goals (361) and points.
Rangers 4, Bruins 2
Mike Richter's sharp goaltending and a little luck helped New York stretch its home unbeaten streak to 14 (12-0-2).
Richter made 31 saves, including four key stops during a Bruins power play late in the second period.
Sabres 4, Avalanche 3
Randy Burridge scored a power-play goal with 8:30 left as Buffalo won after wasting a three-goal lead put together by the Sabres in the game's first nine minutes.
Burridge picked up a loose puck in front of the crease and put it over Patrick Roy's glove, staving off an Avalanche comeback.
Lightning 3, Whalers 2
Michel Petit broke a 2-2 tie when he scored unassisted with 28 seconds remaining. It was the fourth straight win for Tampa Bay, and the third straight loss for Hartford.
Flames 8, Stars 4
German Titov had two goals and two assists and Theoren Fleury added one goal and four assists for visiting Calgary. Dallas lost its fifth straight.
Mike Sullivan and Fleury scored short-handed goals, and Titov, Steve Chiasson and Phil Housley scored on the power play for the Flames.
Kings 6, Senators 2
Marty McSorley landed several punches and scored twice, including a short-handed goal for his 300th NHL career point.
McSorley sparked three-goal outbursts in the second and third periods to send visiting Ottawa to its third straight loss.
Mighty Ducks 6, Penguins 3
Anaheim ended its nine-game winless streak and Pittsburgh's eight-game winning streak as Paul Kariya had two goals and two assists.
Joe Sacco and younger brother David also scored for the Ducks, who got another goal from Todd Krygier en route to their first win since Nov. 21 at Calgary.
Oilers 2, Canucks 2, tie
Rookie Brian Loney got the tie for visiting Vancouver when he scored his first career goal with 1:02 left, stopping Edmonton's three-game winning streak.