Jaromir Jagr passes Gordie Howe for points after 40

NEW YORK -- Jaromir Jagr had two assists Friday to pass Gordie Howe with his 269th NHL point after turning 40, most in history.
"I'm going to pass him for the most points after 50," Jagr said. "That's what I'm looking for."

Jagr, who turned 45 on Feb. 15, assisted on goals by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov in a 4-3 win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Jagr has 1,907 NHL points, second behind Wayne Gretzky (2,857). Howe played until he was 42 then had 41 points in one season as a 51-year-old to finish with 1,850, fourth behind Mark Messier (1,887).
"It's a big honor, no question about it," Jagr said. "It's no accident they call him Mr. Hockey, so it's a big honor to me."

The line of Jagr, Huberdeau and Barkov combined for two goals, three assists and a plus-6 rating to avenge a 5-2 loss at BB&T Center on March 7. Florida is five points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference into the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 12 games remaining.
"Who would have thought, the night we played the Rangers at home, they smoked us, who thought we would come here and win?" Jagr said. "Nobody gave us a chance. That's probably going to be the same thing [Sunday at the Pittsburgh Penguins]. Not many people are going to believe we can win, but you never know. You start at 0-0."
Jagr would become the fourth player in NHL history to play 1,700 games Sunday in Pittsburgh, where he began his NHL career at age 18 in 1990-91.

"Man, oh, man. I think everything's been said about him," Panthers coach Tom Rowe said. "He's a very passionate, passionate guy for the game. His preparation is amazing, and that's what I think is so good for our young guys to see how he prepares himself.
"What he does on the ice doesn't surprise me anymore. The first time I went behind the bench in November and watching him, you appreciate him even more when you see him at ice level."