Zach Parise will return to the Devils' lineup for the Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 game against the New York Islanders. It's a shame there isn't more season left, because Parise is going to be on a mission, and if the Devils make the playoffs this season, which appears unlikely at best, they're not going to lose. Well, anyway, let's celebrate the best of the best. Here's Zach Parise's top 10 greatest moments. Enjoy. *This is part 4 of the DGA Top-10 series.*
NUMBER 10 - A snipe in the steel city
Zach Parise's career year, to date, came in the 2008-09 season, scoring 45 goals and 94 points. Here's one of those 45 from early in the year, in fact, the second game of the season, in overtime, to beat Pittsburgh, 2-1.
NUMBER 9 - A pair of spin-o-ramas
Parise has always been known to have excellent hands with the puck, and that is evident in this pair of videos.
NUMBER 8 - Who needs Datsyuk?
If you ask hockey fans who the best player in the shootout, most of them will probably reply "Pavel Datsyuk," and rightfully so, however, it would be a disservice to Zach Parise if I didn't include one of his many shootout beautys.
NUMBER 7 - Shorty against Philly
The Devils didn't have many highlights in the playoffs in 2010, but if one had to be picked, this would probably be it: a short-handed breakaway goal by Parise in game 2 against the Flyers.
NUMBER 6 - Dethrone the King
Zach Parise has had considerable amounts of success against Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers in his young career. This is just one of many memorable goals in the King's house in Manhattan.
NUMBER 5 - The 100th career goal
Zach Parise scored his 100th career goal in Los Angeles at Staples Center, and it was quite a shot. His backhander is very underrated.
NUMBER 4 - Give the trainer an assist!
As I was watching this, I screamed for Rich Stinzianno, the Devils All-Star trainer (he was the East's All-Star trainer that year) to get an assist on this memorable overtime goal in Montreal. Moments later, Ken Daneyko repeated my words on MSG's Hockey Night Live.
NUMBER 3 - Didn't Ovechkin do that too?
Earlier in the 2008-08 season, Alex Ovechkin chipped a puck by a Montreal defenseman, chased the puck and ended up scoring on his back. Parise tried his best to impress Ovechkin...without falling. This is, perhaps, "the goal" of his career, at least in terms of raw skill. It came against Colorado.
NUMBER 2 - His first career goal and first hat trick!
I couldn't choose between his first goal and first hat trick for #2, so I put them both in. His first goal is first, followed by his first hat trick (I apologize for the delay in audio feed on the second video).
NUMBER 1 - He's an American hero, too.
Okay, I know the way this game ended, but with 24 seconds remaining in the 2010 Olympic Gold Medal game, Zach Parise became an American Hero, and possibly the face of American hockey at the time with his clutch, game-tying goal.
Zach becomes a restricted free agent this season, so if it gets to July 1st, beware of Glen Sather and his checkbook. The Devils need to keep this guy for a long time and put a "C" on his jersey someday. I have a feeling that when it's all said and done, he'll have plenty more to add to this highlight series, and will probably be the last player to ever wear #9 in New Jersey...as a pro-hockey player anyway.
