Selanne, Gretzky Dazzling in Tie

Instead of routine, it was memorable. Instead of lifeless, it was electric.

Teemu Selanne and Wayne Gretzky transformed what might otherwise have been merely another dreary October game into something special Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

A 3-3 tie between the Mighty Ducks and New York Rangers almost seemed fitting given that Selanne and Gretzky matched blazing strides and offensive wizardry, dazzling a sellout crowd of 18,200.

In the end, it was difficult to separate the two. Selanne had three goals to Gretzky’s two assists, but there was more to it than that.

Selanne recorded his 12th career three-goal game and his fourth with the Ducks. His third goal was the best, coming at the end of a spectacular end-to-end rush with the teams playing four on four at the 12:01 mark of the third period.

Gretzky’s assists might have seemed like just another night’s work for the NHL’s all-time leading scorer. There was a twist to the 1,850th and 1,851st assists of his storied career, however.

He now has more assists than any other player in league history has points. When Gretzky set up Ulf Samuelsson for the Rangers’ third goal less than a minute into the third period, he passed Gordie Howe’s point total of 1,850.

It’s not quite as if Hank Aaron belted more home runs than Pete Rose had hits, but it’s in the ballpark.

The fans chanted, “Gretzky, Gretzky,” and gave him a lengthy standing ovation. Gretzky merely smiled sheepishly and waved his stick in appreciation.

There was only silence when Selanne swept past one Ranger, faked out another, split the final two and beat goaltender Mike Richter with a rising, knuckling shot just inside the left goalpost.

“A great hockey game,” Duck defenseman Bobby Dollas said, marveling at the accomplishments of both players.

“It’s great to be here when Gretzky set more records. I have so much respect for that guy,” Selanne said.

To be sure, it was a game worth savoring and a refreshing change of pace from the usual early-season defensive battles.

Selanne gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead with a quick backhander off a rebound at 13:41 of the first period. Kevin Stevens and Niklas Sundstrom scored to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead after two periods. Gretzky then fed Samuelsson for a 3-1 lead and Madison Square Garden rocked with noise.

Gretzky, who has 866 goals and 2,717 points, skated to the bench and tried his best to soak up the moment.

“I think when I set records when I was younger, I didn’t realize what I was doing,” he said afterward. “I was just a young kid playing hockey. As I got older, I’ve tried to think more about them and remember them.”

He was mindful to catch the crowd’s reaction. He has received an outpouring of support after his wife, Janet, was knocked unconscious at her rinkside seat by a broken pane of glass at Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“I’ve got a flower garden in my apartment with all the flowers people have sent us,” he said. “From day one, it’s been very special playing here in New York.”

Sunday might have been simply another celebration of Gretzky’s offensive genius, but Selanne crashed the party. Selanne’s fifth, sixth and seventh goals of the season were as different as any three could be.

The first came off a rebound with traffic in front of Richter. The second was on a breakaway set up by a superb lead pass from defenseman David Karpa. The third was a long dash past every Ranger on the ice.

“Easiest assist I ever got,” said Dollas, who kicked the loose puck to Selanne deep in the Duck zone. “I said, ‘Here you go, Teemu, take it all the way down there and score.’ ”

Richter might have been able to make the save and preserve the victory for the Rangers, but the puck rolled on its edge just as Selanne was about to shoot and it knuckled on its way into the net.

“Lucky, but I’ll take it,” Selanne said after extending his goal-scoring streak to four games. “The puck was rolling and I don’t think he saw it all the way.”