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But in talking to Gretzky a couple of decades after he set the mark in 1981-82, he still had one regret.In the 26 years since Gretzky made hockey history with the Edmonton Oilers, only two other players, Brett Hull (86 in 1990-91) and Mario Lemieux (85 in 1988-89) have come within hailing distance of Gretzky's mark. No one has broken 70 goals in a season since 1992-93, when Alexander Mogilny and free football Teemu Selanne each had 76, and Alex Ovechkin's 65 goals this past season were the most by anyone in more that a decade.But as former Edmonton teammate Kevin Lowe remembered years later, the thing about Gretzky was that he was never satisfied.Nowhere was that more evident than on Dec. 30, 1981, when Gretzky scored five times to reach the 50-goal mark in the Oilers' 39th game. No one has come close free football to equaling that feat.-Charlie Huddy took a shot from the left point that bounced off the boards and right to me at the corner of the net, and I put it in,- he said of his first goal that night. -I thought to myself, 'how fortunate.'- I got the 47th, the 48th, and the 49th, but it was ironic -- I had eight or nine point-blank chances and (goalie Pete) Peeters made some great saves.--[Flyers forwar free football d] Bill Barber said that if I were going in alone on an empty net for the 50th goal, he'd throw his stick [giving him an automatic goal],- Gretzky remembered. -That would have made a great trivia question -- how I scored my 50th goal without putting the puck into the net.--I was there. That was extraordinary,- he said. -Five goals against the Flyers in Edmonton -- it was unbelievable. With Wayne, free football you never knew what you'd see. I just liked sitting on the bench watching him.--That was bittersweet for me that night. I was at home in Edmonton, packing my apartment. I had just been told I was heading to the minors. I watched it on TV -- watching through my tears as Gretz got 50 goals. It was incredible to watch,- he told NHL.com.He entered his third NHL season with two Hart trophies as MVP and free football one Art Ross Trophy as the League scoring leader, having led the Oilers to their first Playoff berth in 1980-81. Though he'd scored 51 and 55 goals in his first two seasons, the consensus among the rest of the NHL was that defenders were better off making Gretzky shoot, because his passing skills were so deadly.-I think Gretz became the ultimate opportunist -- if you gave him something, he'd take free football it, whether it was an opportunity to pass the puck or shoot the puck,- said Moog, now director of professional development for the Dallas Stars. -He was seeking out and trying to find opportunities to create offense, and whatever you gave him, he was prepared to take.-The snowball kept rolling: He had two goals in the next game against Toronto and never dipped below a goal-a-game pace again.The g free football oal-scoring burst left goaltenders in a bind.Gretzky reached the 40-goal mark in Game 36 against Calgary, got No. 41 in the next game against Vancouver, and connected for a second four-goal game against Los Angeles on Dec. 27, giving him 45 in 38 games.He didn't. Not bad for a skinny 21-year-old who could have passed for a stick boy. But in Gretzky's case, appearances were deceiving.-It's hard free football to fathom, hard to believe a guy could come in and get that many goals in one year, break every record. We were young guys and we idolized guys like Phil Esposito. Gretz had a lot of respect for the eras before him. That's why he was so special. He was very humble, even when he scored 92 goals. That's why I have so much respect for Wayne.-Is Gretzky's mark unbreakable? Moog feels it will be diffic free football ult -- but maybe not impossible.Gretzky, who once said Sidney Crosby could top his scoring marks, thinks Ovechkin might be able to do it. The Washington star had 163 goals in his first three NHL seasons, a mark exceeded only by Gretzky (198) and Mike Bossy (177).So did Gretzky. And no one has ever done it better.Author: John Kreiser | NHL.com Columnist free football
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