Nov. 23: Gretzky scores 600th goal
Plus: Gilbert plays final game; Bruins become second NHL team with 2,500 victories
by John Kreiser @jkreiser7713 / NHL.com Managing Editor
THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Nov. 23
1988: Wayne Gretzky scores his 600th NHL goal and has five assists to power the Los Angeles Kings to an 8-3 victory against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.
At age 27, Gretzky becomes the fifth player in NHL history to reach 600 goals when he converts a pass from Dave Taylor at 8:23 of the first period to give Los Angeles a 2-0 lead.
Gretzky reaches the milestone in his 718th regular-season game.
MORE MOMENTS
1926: George Hainsworth, a rookie goalie with the Montreal Canadiens, shuts out the New York Americans 2-0. Howie Morenz and Pit Lepine score for Montreal. It's the first of 14 in the 1926-27 season for Hainsworth; he finishes his career with 94, still third all-time behind Martin Brodeur and Terry Sawchuk.
1977: Rod Gilbert plays in his final NHL game, a 6-3 victory for the New York Rangers against the Colorado Rockies at Madison Square Garden. He retires as the Rangers leader in goals (406) and points (1,021), and is elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.
1982: In one of the wildest games in NHL history, the Minnesota North Stars and New York Islanders play to an 8-8 tie at Nassau Coliseum. Steve Payne and Neal Broten have hat tricks for the North Stars; Bryan Trottier is the only member of the Islanders to score more than once. New York scores its eight goals on 27 shots against Gilles Meloche.
2002: The Boston Bruins become the second NHL team to win 2,500 games. The Bruins score three power-play goals in the first period and defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 at Boston Garden. At that time, the Montreal Canadiens are the only other team to have 2,500 victories. It's also Boston's 1,500th home victory.
On the same night, Dave Andreychuk becomes the 14th player in NHL history to score 600 goals, then gets No. 601 in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 3-1 road win against the New Jersey Devils.
2003: Mark Messier of the Rangers joins Gordie Howe as the only players in NHL history to appear in 1,700 regular-season games. Messier plays 15:03 but does not have a point in New York's 6-3 win against the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden.
2009: Goalie Dwayne Roloson survives a 61-shot barrage before Josh Bailey's overtime goal gives the Islanders a 4-3 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The 61 shots tie a 33-year-old team record for the Maple Leafs and are the most against the Islanders in a single game.
2014: Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist shuts out Montreal 5-0 at Madison Square Garden, four days after his backup, Cam Talbot, defeats the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0. It's the first time the Rangers get shutouts in consecutive games from different goalies since Wayne Thomas wins 4-0 at the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 30, 1977, and John Davidson wins 4-0 at the Minnesota North Stars three days later.
2019: The Rangers rally from four goals down to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 at Bell Centre for their biggest comeback win since Dec. 26, 1991. New York trails 4-0 in the second period and 5-3 in the third before scoring three consecutive goals each time. It's the fourth time in their history the Rangers win after trailing by four goals.