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Jagr becomes 12th player to reach 1,500 career points

Feb 11, 2007 - 4:49 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Jaromir Jagr reached a milestone to help the New York Rangers reach the winner's circle.

Jagr registered three assists to surpass 1,500 career points as the Rangers posted a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.

A five-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer, Jagr became the 12th player in NHL history and second this season to reach 1,500 career points. Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche reached the mark on October 25, also against the Capitals.

"It's a big honor," Jagr said. "How many years has the NHL been around, 100? The best players in the world play in this league. If I can be in the top 12, that's great."

Jagr entered the game needing two points to hit the plateau. The Czech was able to accomplish the feat against the team for which he played two-plus seasons before joining the Rangers in the middle of the 2003-04 campaign.

"It's strange I did it in this arena," said Jagr, who was booed virtually every time he touched the puck.

Jagr started his night with an assist on defenseman Michal Rozsival's power-play goal in the first period. His milestone point came in the form of an assist on Rozsival's second man-advantage tally at 4:17 of the third, which snapped a 2-2 tie.

"I'm always honored to be a part of anything that these great players do," Rangers coach Tom Renney said. "Anytime I can be on any bench, watching people like that do wonderful things, I'm grateful for it."

Less than two minutes later, Jagr set up Martin Straka's 25th goal of the season to give the Rangers a 4-2 advantage.

In his illustrious career that eventually will see him inducted into the Hall of Fame, Jagr has 612 goals and 889 assists in 1,165 career games.

Straka also netted an empty-netter with 30 seconds remaining for the Rangers, who have won two straight following a four-game losing streak.

All-Star Alex Ovechkin and captain Chris Clark scored on the power play for Washington, which completed a 2-1-1 homestand.

"I don't have a problem with the way we played," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said. "We just couldn't get any space out there and they ended up with three power-play goals."

Rozsival completed his first multi-goal game of the season by ripping a one-timer from the slot past goaltender Olaf Kolzig with 15:43 remaining, giving the Rangers a 3-2 lead. The Capitals had tied the game just 2:02 earlier with the help of a fortunate bounce.

Alexander Semin's dump-in caromed off the right end boards and to Clark in front, where he deked Henrik Lundqvist before putting a backhander past the netminder. It was Clark's 24th tally of the season.

In the first period, the Capitals also scored in virtually the same fashion. A bad carom led to the puck falling on the stick of Ovechkin, who fired a shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle past Lundqvist for his 34th goal, tying him with Vincent Lecavalier of Tampa Bay for the league lead.

"It's a league with good players," Lundqvist said. "We should be able to have a good rink. I think it's a joke to have boards like that. It could be a change in the game just because of the bounces. I think they knew it, too. Especially the last one, it was a set play, I think."

Renney also was upset with the boards.

"Brutal. The National Hockey League should be all over that," he said. "There's a gap in the boards, it's about at least an inch. It's just unique that it's in the opponent's end. It should be looked at by the NHL and corrected."

However, the Rangers were able to overcome the bounces by outplaying the Capitals virtually the entire way. They held a 32-19 advantage in shots, including a 16-6 cushion in the first period.

"Those shouldn't be your only two goals of the game," Capitals defenseman Steve Eminger said. "We didn't have enough shots. We were controlling the puck ... But we were unable to find the guy in the high slot and get second and third chances, and that's what we've got to do."

Marcel Hossa scored a power-play goal, his fifth tally of the season and third in four games at 9:50 of the second period to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. The Rangers went 3-for-6 with the man advantage.

Entering 0-for-15 on the power play in their previous four games, the Capitals went 2-for-4 with the man advantage.