Jagr Beats Hasek for 700th Point

Next week during the Olympics, Dominik Hasek will play on the same Czech Republic team as Jaromir Jagr. It sounds more fun than playing against him.

Jagr registered his 700th career point when he scored the equalizer late in the second period as the Penguins tied the Sabres, 2-2, on Friday night at Buffalo, N.Y.

“I know in three or four days, I will be practicing with him,” Hasek said. “But [Friday], he was enemy. Any time he was on the ice, I was ready for him. He’s the best player on his team.”

Hasek was ready for Jagr, but the Penguin star still beat the Buffalo goaltender after one-timing Alexei Morozov’s pass into the slot with 3:57 left in the second period. Jagr’s 25th of the season gave him 291 goals and 409 assists in 557 NHL games.

“Every time I play against [Hasek], I’m kind of lucky,” Jagr said.

Donald Audette scored two power-play goals as the Sabres extended their unbeaten streak to eight games. Buffalo has not lost at home in 1998, going 4-0-4, including three straight ties.

Jagr’s showdown against Hasek pitted one of the best forwards in the world against one of the best goalies. They will be the Czech Republic’s key players in Nagano, Japan, next week after the completion of the preliminary rounds.

“If it takes a premier scorer and a great goaltender to win games, then the Czech team’s got a chance,” Penguin Coach Kevin Constantine said. “They certainly have that in Jagr and Hasek.”

In the first period, the two collided near the Buffalo net after Jagr skated toward the net and was hauled down. They ended up against the boards with Jagr on top of Hasek.

“I was worried,” Jagr said, “that if something happened [to Hasek] the Czech people would come after me.”

Eddie Olczyk scored the other goal for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh had only four shots on Hasek in the first period before the Penguins got moving in the second. Olczyk scored 1:20 into the period to tie the score 1-1.

Vancouver 5, Edmonton 4--Peter Zezel had a goal and an assist in his debut with the Canucks in the aftermath of their three-day trading blitz.

Zezel, acquired from New Jersey in one of Vancouver’s four trades this week, scored on his first shift as a Canuck only 53 seconds into the first period, the first of three consecutive goals by his new team at Vancouver, Canada.

Zezel one-timed a cross-ice pass from Alex Mogilny to open the scoring and then teamed with Mogilny to set up Markus Naslund midway through the period for a two-goal lead.

Mathias Ohlund added his fourth of the season to make it 3-0 at 11:18 of the first.

Edmonton fought back in the middle period, scoring twice on the power play. Bill Guerin got his 11th of the season three minutes in and Dan McGillis brought the Oilers to within one about six minutes later.

Brian Noonan put the game away for Vancouver on a breakaway with 6:41 left in the third.