NEWARK, N.J. -- Zach Parise is finally starting to feel like himself again. It took the Devils captain roughly 21 games this season, but his production is on the rise and his mental state is as strong as ever.
"Finally I'm starting to feel really good, which is kind of refreshing," Parise told NHL.com Friday morning. "Things are starting to come together a little bit."
Parise has points in eight of the last nine games, including four goals and eight assists for 12 points. He had his first three-point game of the season this past Monday in Tampa Bay and added another goal in Florida on Tuesday, helping the Devils sweep the road trip.
Parise had only six goals and five assists for 11 points in the first 21 games this season. He sat out all but one game over the final five and a half months of last season with a knee injury.
"The legs have always felt good, always been there, but I think it took a lot longer than I expected to just finally get back," Parise said. "Mentally was the hardest part. It got frustrating sometimes making some not so good plays out there. I don't know, all of a sudden you relax and everything starts to slow down. That's kind of what happened."
Parise also said it helps that he's back playing on the left wing. Devils coach Pete DeBoer experimented with him at center earlier in the season, but Adam Henrique has come in and contributed in a way that has allowed Parise to move over to the left side. Henrique, who has 23 points in 27 games, is the center on the top line with Ilya Kovalchuk on the right side.
Kovalchuk, by the way, has 10 points on five goals and five assists in the last nine games.
"You know what helps, too, is our line is playing really well," Parise said. "That makes a big difference right now."
Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl
Parise finally feeling like himself after injury
Friday, 12.16.2011 / 2:07 PM
By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer / At the Rink blog
NHL.TV™
NHL GameCenter LIVE™ is now NHL.TV™.
Watch out-of-market games and replays with an all new redesigned media player, mobile and connected device apps.
LEARN MORE
Watch out-of-market games and replays with an all new redesigned media player, mobile and connected device apps.
LEARN MORE
NHL Mobile App
Introducing the new official NHL App, available for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones and tablets. A host of new features and improved functionality are available across all platforms, including a redesigned league-wide scoreboard, expanded news coverage, searchable video highlights, individual team experiences* and more. The new NHL App on your tablet also introduces new offerings such as 60fps video, Multitasking** and Picture-in-Picture.
*Available only for smartphones
** Available only for suported iPads
*Available only for smartphones
** Available only for suported iPads
-
AFFILIATE SITES
AHL › AIHL › ECHL › ELITE (UK) › SPHL › USHL › Aussie Hockey › NHL Alumni › NHL Officials Association › -
PLAYER SITES
Craig Anderson › David Backes › Nicklas Backstrom › Aleksander Barkov › Brendan Gallagher › Mike Green › Scott Hartnell › Duncan Keith › Anze Kopitar › Torey Krug › Henrik Lundqvist › Evgeni Malkin › Brad Marchand › Carey Price › James Reimer › Alex Steen › Anton Stralman › P.K. Subban › Thomas Vanek › Henrik Zetterberg › -
RETIRED PLAYERS
Dave Bolland › Martin Brodeur › Pavel Bure › Patrik Elias › Mike Fisher › Josh Harding › Matt Kassian › Olie Kolzig › Jamie Langenbrunner › Georges Laraque › Brad Richards › Denis Savard › Marty Turco › James Wisniewski › -
COMMUNITY
Hockey is for Everyone › Hockey Fights Cancer › NHL Green › Future Goals › -
TERMS
Terms of Service › Privacy Policy ›AdChoices › Online Transmission Policy › Copyright Policy ›
-
FUN STUFF
Fantasy Hockey › NHL Shop › NHL Rbk store › NHL Learning Center › Video Rulebook › NHL Awards › -
ABOUT
FAQ › Contact Us › NHL.TV Support › NHL Network › SiriusXM NHL Radio › History › Marketing Partners › Jobs › CBA › Site Map ›
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.