3-on-3: Jagr ties Howe, could keep moving up career points

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March 4, 2016, 10:01 AM ET
7 min read

— -- Hot and not

Talbot Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers
Talbot stopped all 35 shots he faced against the Philadelphia Flyers to backstop the Oilers to a 4-0 win. The win was Talbot's and the Oilers' third straight.

Quick Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings
Sure, he got the 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, but Quick had a miserable .867 save percentage while stopping 13 of 15 shots. It made a complete set for his performance Sunday, when he had an .862 save percentage against the Anaheim Ducks.

What's the most impressive things about  Jaromir Jagr 's climb to No. 2 in career points?

Scott Burnside @ESPN_Burnside:  And a tip of the old helmet as we close out the week to one of the greatest players of all time, Jaromir Jagr, who on Thursday equaled Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, with his 1,850th career point in the first period of a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Jagr, 44, will own sole possession of third overall with his next point, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. And far from slowing down, Jagr is actually heating up as he leads the Florida Panthers in points and has eight points in his last seven games. He'll need to keep up that pace as the Tampa Bay Lightning have now slipped into a tie with the Panthers for top spot in the Atlantic Division. Actually, it might be good for the Cats if someone else other than Jagr chipped in. So, where does Jagr stand for you in the pantheon of the game's greatest players? It is still a bit shocking to me to come to grips with another player actually joining the Mount Rushmore of hockey's most prolific point producers. And if he plays another season, he'll likely reel in Messier. What say you?

Pierre LeBrun @Real_ESPNLeBrun: I turn 44 next month. To watch Jagr to do what he's doing when we share the same 1972 birth year, I mean, it hits home more than you can believe. Sure, but can he type as fast as me? What's always been impressive about what Jagr has done is how he's stayed impactful and productive through three different decades, through different eras of how the game has been played: The wide-open early '90s of when he arrived, the clutch-and-grab Dead Puck Era, the new version of the game post-2005, a little more open for a while, and now the low-scoring, shot-blocking NHL of today. Through it all, No. 68 has found ways to produce goals and assists. There he was Thursday night in Denver, taking a pounding in front of the net during the Panthers' power play. That's the thing, even at 44, he's still so hard to move off his position, his leg strength still unreal. I sure hope we get another season out of him.

Craig Custance @CraigCustance:  It's been so cool to witness a legend in real time. Messier's last season was in 2003-04, so it's been a dozen years since we've been able to go to a rink and actually see a player at the very top of the scoring record books. It's almost to the point where I want to take my kids to a game so they can say they've seen him play in their lifetime, even if they'd be more interested in Dippin' Dots or something. It was really neat to talk to Mark Howe a couple weeks ago about Jagr and his father, Gordie, and how they compared. They were both so big and strong at such a young age, he pointed out. They both have a passion for the game and he said both men were energized by playing with younger players, in Gordie's case, his sons. Jagr is clearly one of the all-time greats and we owe an assist to guys such as  Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau for providing the assist in keeping it fun for Jagr to come to the rink every day.

Joe McDonald @ESPNJoeyMac: Pierre, I've heard that your mullet back in high school was as legendary as Jagr's. On a serious note, we're talking about one of the greatest hockey players of all-time, and at age 44 he's matched Howe. Think about where Jagr would be if he hadn't left the NHL and played in the KHL for three seasons, from 2008-11. Not that the two leagues compare in talent level, but Jagr recorded 146 points in those three seasons in the KHL. It was amazing to see him work up close when the Bruins acquired him at the trade deadline in 2013. His work ethic was second to none. Boston reached the Stanley Cup finals that season and I recall after one game the Bruins lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, Jagr spent nearly an hour on the ice afterward skating with a weighed vest. He has accomplished plenty during his career but there's one thing missing: Of the eight NHL teams he's played for, he has yet to wear his No. 68 sweater for a Canadian team, which is something he's always wanted to do. Maybe the Montreal Canadiens could use his services some day.

Around the league

  • Rick Nash of the New York Rangers is skating again and could be back in action as early as March 16. Nash hasn't played since Jan. 22 after suffering a bone bruise against the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • Are you ready for some comedy? Then you must be a fan of the playing style of the  St. Louis Blues' Scottie Upshall.
  • Henrik Lundqvist got uncharacteristically all bent out of shape after getting schooled by the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-1 loss in which they New York Rangers were at one point leading 1-0. The net didn't fare so well, either.