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It is March 4, 1981, and Guy Lafleur is standing at the Canadiens’ bench, waving his gloved hand to thank the Montreal Forum crowd for its standing ovation.

Lafleur has just earned his 1,000th NHL point, scoring his 21st goal of the season 54 seconds into the third period on assists from Keith Acton and Larry Robinson, giving the Habs a 9-0 lead over the Winnipeg Jets in what would be a 9-3 victory.

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For the Flower, his 1,000th point has come in his 720th NHL game. He is the 14th player to have reached that magical plateau and, at the time, is the fastest to have arrived there — 20 games more quickly than Marcel Dionne two months earlier.

The moment, captured on black-and-white film by award-winning Canadian Press photographer Doug Ball, shows a joyful Lafleur flanked by teammates Denis Herron, Pierre Mondou, Pierre Larouche, Acton and the late Doug Wickenheiser.

Behind them are a Forum usherette, as they were known in the day; a Montreal cop; Canadiens assistant trainer Pierre Meilleur; and head coach Claude Ruel. Back of them are dozens of fans, on their feet, cheering Lafleur in salute.