Final Showdown Set for Minnesota Wild Top Play of Season

Feb 17, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker (16) against the Detroit Red Wings at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Red Wings 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

If you’ve been keeping up with the Minnesota Wild on the official team website, you are no doubt aware of the top play of the year voting competition they’ve been holding. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we’re down to the final.

In a battle of the present versus the future, “Tik-Tak-Koivu” is facing off against “Zucker’s First” for Minnesota Wild play of the year.

Tik-Tak-Koivu

As you can see, this is what Minnesota has the potential to do every night with the new talent in Zach Parise and Ryan Suter infused in the lineup. Obviously, that’s not always going to happen, which is part of the reason this play was so special–Minnesota hasn’t had the talent to pull off such a spectacular play in a long, long time.

Zucker’s First

Where do you start with this play? Perhaps the most brilliant part is Jason Zucker’s pass to himself as he chips the puck off the boards past the Red Wings defender to create the 2-on-1 with Devin Setoguchi. That little move alone is vintage Marian Gaborik, as no other player wearing a Wild sweater has ever been more adept at pulling off that move than the first ever and highest drafted pick in franchise history. Zucker brings that excitement that’s been missing from the Xcel Energy Center since No. 10 headed to the Big Apple. Wild fans can expect a lot more where that came from from Mr. Zucker in the future.

Be sure to vote for your favorite on Wild.com.