Gretzky Milestone Helps Kings Win : Hockey: He passes the 2,100-point mark with goal and four assists. Jets fall, 6-4.

As he came off the ice Friday night at Winnipeg Arena, Wayne Gretzky tossed a puck at Peter Millar, the equipment manager.

“What’s this for?” a startled Millar asked.

“It’s yours,” Gretzky replied. “I told you before the game, 2,100 points.”

Millar suddenly remembered and he smiled. Gretzky had indeed mentioned that he needed five points for an even 2,100 in his career and that’s what he got--on a goal and four assists--to lead the Kings to a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets before a sellout crowd of 15,523.

Millar can be excused for his lapse of memory. At this point in Gretzky’s career, every game seems to produce its own milestone. Besides, Gretzky himself was misinformed. As it turned out, he needed three points, so he wound up with 2,102.

After the game, Millar put the puck away for safekeeping.

“I’ll give it to Wayne’s father (Walter),” said Millar, who was with Gretzky in Edmonton throughout the Oilers’ dynasty of the 1980s. “Wayne has already given me four Stanley Cup rings. That’s enough.”

For the Kings, perhaps the most meaningful number Friday was 35. As in 35 victories.

The victory improved the Kings record to 35-20-7 and their Smythe Division lead over the Calgary Flames to four points with 18 games to play. Not only are the 35 victories one more than the Kings had all of last season, but it’s the earliest any Kings’ team has ever won 35 games.

“We were in first place earlier this season,” goalie Kelly Hrudey said. “We didn’t handle that as well. We didn’t have the same work ethic. This time, we’re showing some character. We’re more prepared to pay the price now.”

Players say there’s a feeling in the Kings’ locker room that they belong on top, a place they have never finished in their 24-year history.

“Everybody else felt we didn’t belong,” defenseman Larry Robinson said. “Sooner or later, they figured we’d resort to our old habits of getting into shootouts until we proved we could play both sides of the puck.

“I’m sure there are still a lot of doubters. But the only ones we have to answer to are in this locker room.”

The old Kings probably wouldn’t have won Friday night’s game, not considering the poor start in this one.

After killing 27 consecutive power plays, the Kings gave up their first goal Friday in a power-play situation, Thomas Steen getting his 12th goal of the season.

With only six shots in the period, the Kings were happy to finish the first 20 minutes even, Tomas Sandstrom getting the tying goal in the final minute.

It was still even after two periods. The Jets scored twice on goals by Phil Housley (20th) and Ed Olczyk (22nd). The Kings countered with John McIntyre (seventh) and Gretzky (team-leading 36th).

Gretzky scored on a spectacular play. With the puck on Winnipeg defenseman Shawn Cronin’s stick, Gretzky trailed him into the Winnipeg zone. When Cronin attempted a short pass to teammate Teppo Numminen, Gretzky was there, intercepting it as smoothly as an NFL cornerback.

The King center never paused, continuing up to the goal, where he backhanded the puck under the left arm of Winnipeg goalie Rick Tabaracci.

There were two major penalties in the period. Steve Kasper was called for high-sticking Housley, who required eight stitches in his face. Mike Eagles was given five minutes for cracking King defenseman Rob Blake on the side of the head, leaving him momentarily stunned.

Olczyk’s goal came on the Kings’ major penalty. But Winnipeg killed its own five-minute penalty.

But the Jets didn’t do much in the final period when the Kings came to life, found the open ice and scored three goals to break the game open and lower the Jets’ record to 22-32-11.

Brad Jones scored his eighth goal, Sandstrom his second of the game and 33rd of the season and Bob Kudelski his 22nd into an empty net after Winnipeg had pulled its goalie with 34 seconds to play.

Gretzky had an assist on each of the last three goals.

“It was just one of those nights,” he said. “I felt really good and I was lucky. The puck just bounced my way. I had that extra zip. I felt like I could go on forever.”

For many, it must seem like he already has.