Minnesota Wild: Another Blown 3rd Period Opportunity
By Cody Defoe
Zach Parise
They say that the preseason is a time for players to get up to game speed, to knock off the offseason rust, and to loosen up before the regular season starts. Those things clearly don’t apply to Zach Parise of the Minnesota Wild.
Parise was playing his first hockey since leaving Game 3 of the playoffs with a Bruised Sternum, and he hadn’t missed a beat. He scored a goal in all 3 of those playoff games, and another one tonight.
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He played 22:11 on the ice in this game, all of it with Mikko Koivu beside him, and looked every part of his $98 Million contract. He was all over the ice with 3 recorded shots on goal, 2 takeaways, and a blocked shot.
He gave fans a moment of concern when he took a Spurgeon shot off the hand and seemed to be a little shaken up, but bounced back quickly and was back on the ice for his next shift.
His goal was a thing of beauty, as Koivu hit him with a beautiful slap-pass at the side of the net. Parise softly angled his stick in the right direction and watched the slap pass land in the net.
This is the player that the Minnesota Wild paid a hefty price to bring home to the State of Hockey, and this is the player we all expect to see on the ice for 82 games this season.
Injuries have struck and kept him on the sideline for far too many games since coming to Minnesota. He looks healthy, he looks hungry, and he looks determined.
The player who showed up to this preseason game looks primed and ready to lead this team on a deep playoff run. Let’s hope that play continues for the entire season and more.