Parise gets first-period hat trick for Wild

Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise scored a hat trick in the first period against the Calgary Flames at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday.
Parise scored at 5:21, 6:07 and 16:33 to give Minnesota a 3-1 lead. Forward Mikko Koivu had the secondary assist on each of the goals.

They were the fastest three goals scored by a Wild player; Marian Gaborik scored three in 12:05 against the New York Rangers on Dec. 20, 2007.
Parise is the first Wild player to score three goals in one period, and the second to have three hat tricks in one season (Gaborik, three, 2002-30).
It is Parise's third hat trick of the season, and his fifth in the NHL. He has 22 goals in 64 games this season.
The Wild led the Colorado Avalanche by one point for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference going into play Thursday.