March 29: Gretzky breaks NHL single-season points record

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: March 29
1981:
Wayne Gretzky
breaks
Phil Esposito
's NHL record for most points in a season by getting three assists in the
Edmonton Oilers' 5-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins
at the Civic Arena.

Gretzky assists on a second-period goal by
Mark Messier
and sets up third-period goals by
Brett Callighen
and
Jari Kurri
, moving him past Esposito's record of 152 points, set in 1970-71.
Exactly 18 years later, Gretzky scores the 894th and final regular-season goal of his NHL career for the New York Rangers in a
3-1 victory
against the New York Islanders. It's the 1,072nd goal of his professional career (regular season and playoffs, NHL and WHA), surpassing
Gordie Howe
as the leading scorer in pro hockey history.
MORE MOMENTS
1970:
Tony Esposito
gets his 15th shutout of the season, an NHL record for rookie goalies, in the Chicago Blackhawks'
4-0 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs
at Chicago Stadium. Esposito, claimed from the Montreal Canadiens in the 1969 NHL Intraleague Draft, wins the Calder and Vezina trophies as the League's outstanding rookie and goalie. The 15 shutouts are the most by any goalie since 1929.

1973:
Bobby Clarke
becomes the first player from an expansion team to score 100 points in a season. His 100th point is a goal that helps the
Philadelphia Flyers defeat the Atlanta Flames 4-2
at the Spectrum.
1975:The Canadiens become the first team in NHL history to win 1,000 home games when they
defeat the Kansas City Scouts 4-1
at the Forum.
Guy Lafleur
scores his 50th goal for the first of six straight seasons, an NHL record at the time.
1982:
Mike Bossy
of the Islanders sets an NHL record for right wings with his 81st assist of the season in a 7-3 win against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The record-setting assist comes on a power-play goal by
Denis Potvin
midway through the third period.

1989:
Brian Leetch
of the Rangers sets an NHL record for most goals by a rookie defenseman when he scores his 23rd of the season, breaking the mark of 22 set by
Barry Beck
of the Colorado Rockies in 1977-78. It comes in a
4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings
.
2000:
Patrick Roy
of the Colorado Avalanche becomes the first goalie in League history to win 30 games in a season 10 times. Roy's 30th victory of 1999-2000 comes when he makes 20 saves in a
3-2 win against the visiting Oilers
.

2018:
Scott Foster
, a 36-year-old accountant from Oak Park, Illinois, gets into the Blackhawks game against the Winnipeg Jets at United Center as an emergency backup goalie. After being told earlier in the day that the Blackhawks need him to dress because
Anton Forsberg
is injured and Corey Crawford is out for the season, he enters the game with 14:01 remaining in the third period after
Colin Delia
is forced to leave with cramps. Foster makes seven saves without allowing a goal in
Chicago's 6-2 win
.

2019: The St. Louis Blues become the seventh team in NHL history to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after being last in the overall standings after Jan. 1 (minimum 20 games played). St. Louis, last among the League's 31 teams after games of Jan. 2, is assured on a playoff berth when the Colorado Avalanche
defeat the Arizona Coyotes 3-2
in a shootout. St. Louis is the first team to accomplish the feat since the Ottawa Senators in 1996-97.
Colorado's victory against Arizona also assures the Vegas Golden Knights of their second trip to the playoffs in as many NHL seasons. Vegas joins the Edmonton Oilers as the only teams since 1979-80 to make the postseason in each of their first two seasons.