EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Now that Guy Lafleur has reached the 500-goal plateau, he wants to get on with the next milestone -- another Stanley Cup championship for the Montreal Canadiens.
Lafleur became the 10th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals and teammate Steve Shutt added his 400th career goal Tuesday night to highlight the Montreal Canadiens' 6-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
'It was a big relief for myself and everybody on the team,' Lafleur said. 'Everybody was looking for me to score that goal. They weren't playing their game and I wasn't playing mine.'
Lafleur scored his 500th goal in his 896th career game, but failed to reach the mark last Saturday at home against St. Louis.
'I'm sorry I didn't get it in Montreal but I have been playing my best hockey on the road,' he said. 'I'm glad I got it now. The longer you wait, the more the pressure is on.'
Lafleur, 32, took a pass from Pierre Mondou and fired a slapshot from 20 feet into the upper right corner of the net past Devils goalie Chico Resch 8:34 into the third period. It was his 14th goal of the year.
'I'm glad it wasn't a questionable goal or a tip-in,' Devils coach Tom McVie said. 'Before Chico :ould move, Lafleur rocketed it into the net. That's the mark of a superstar.'
Only Phil Esposito, Bobby Hull, Maurice Richard and Marcel Dionne reached the 500 plateau in less games than Lafleur. Other 500 career goal scorers are Gordie Howe, John Bucyk, Stan Mikita, Frank Mahovlich and Jean Beliveau.
Lafleur, who gave Montreal a 6-0 lead, also had an assist and is one point short of the 1,200-point career mark.
'My goal is to win the Stanley Cup and pass Richard's mark,' he said, referring to Richard's all-time Canadiens' record of 544 career goals.
Shutt scored his eighth goal of the season in Montreal's three-goal second period. He stole the puck from New Jersey's Rick Meagher and skated down the left side on Resch. Resch kicked out Shutt's first shot from 15 feet, but the 31-year-old left wing jammed home the rebound for a 3-0 lead. Shutt, who also had an assist, moved into seventh place on the all-time Canadiens' scoring list with 801 points.
Lafleur and Shutt have been teammates since Shutt joined Montreal in the 1972-73 season. Lafleur came to the Canadiens a year earlier.
'Flower's (Lafleur) career and mine are intertwined,' Shutt said. 'It's kind of nice to get it on the same night he did.
'I am not having that good of a year but I think I played good tonight for once. I was better in the corners and better in the slot.'
Mondou, Ryan Walter and Chris Nilan all scored their eighth goals of the season and added an assist. Guy Carbonneau also scored for Montreal.
Canadiens goaltender Richard Sevigny posted his first shutout by stopping 20 shots. Montreal is undefeated in its last four games and Sevigny has been in goal for all of them. Resch had a franchise record six-game unbeaten streak stopped.
