NEW YORK (AP) -- Wayne Gretzky owns just about every individual NHL record in the book. Now he has one that isn't.
"This one obviously is going to be a tough one for anyone to beat," Gretzky said after scoring another milestone goal to help the New York Rangers beat the New York Islanders 3-1 Monday night.Gretzky's tie-breaking goal with 2:07 left was the 1,072nd of his 21-year professional career, counting his time in the WHA and the NHL. It made him the career leader in the game as he moved past his boyhood hero, Gordie Howe.
"This is a record that won't be in the books, but people will sit around and talk about it," Gretzky said.
The NHL does not credit WHA achievements and therefore does not recognize the record. But a sellout crowd of 18,200 at Madison Square Garden certainly did after Gretzky scored the winner.
The fans were on their feet, cheering and applauding for several minutes as the announcement came over the loudspeaker that Gretzky scored the historic goal.
Gretzky already holds the NHL goals record, having surpassed Howe on March 23, 1994, when he scored his 802nd.
Gretzky had 56 goals in the WHA with Indianapolis and Edmonton to go along with his overall total of 1,016 in the NHL, including 894 regular-season goals. Gretzky tied Howe's overall total when he scored his 1,071st against Vancouver on Feb. 4.
But he hit a dry spell of eight games before he was sidelined by a neck injury. Since coming back after missing 12 games with the injury, Gretzky went goalless in three more games before scoring his ninth of the season Monday night.
"It was a big goal, a goal I'll probably never forget," said Gretzky, who once scored a record 92 in one season at Edmonton. "I'm happy that it was a goal that was of value to the team at a time we're desperate for a win."
Oh, yes, that was another thing. Gretzky's goal gave the Rangers some hope for a playoff berth.
With eight games to go, the Rangers moved into a tie with Florida, five points behind Boston for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
"I am really excited for him, but we were just so happy to get the goal, because we just needed to get the win," Rangers goalie Mike Richter said. "So that was our first thought."
CANUCKS 1, COYOTES 0: Garth Snow stopped 22 shots for his second straight shutout against Phoenix, while rookie Peter Schaefer scored the lone goal.
The visiting Coyotes, who dropped a 3-0 decision to the Canucks on March 11, have gone 154 minutes, 46 seconds without scoring against Vancouver. Phoenix's last goal against the Canucks came against Snow in the second period of a 3-3 tie on Dec. 6.
Snow, who allowed one goal in Saturday's 5-1 win over Montreal, recorded his fifth shutout of the season and eighth of his career.