Islanders' Zach Parise follows in father J.P.'s footsteps with 20th goal
Islanders forward Zach Parise, right, passes the puck in front of Blue Jackets defenseman Andrew Peeke during the first period of an NHL game in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday. Credit: AP/Paul Vernon
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was an emotional goal for Zach Parise. But he didn’t know that until after the Islanders’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets on Friday at Nationwide Arena.
Parise’s first-period goal gave him 20 this season, something his father, the late J.P. Parise, accomplished twice with the Islanders in the 1970s. They became the fourth father-son duo to score 20 goals for the same team in NHL history.
“To share something like that with him, it’s special,” Parise — who extended his goal streak to four games — said while discussing the influence his father had on his life and career.
“I’ve seen some highlights of what they have available,” Parise said of watching his father play for the Islanders. “To see him play, not only with the Islanders but those Team Canada highlights, it makes you proud. He had an awesome career in the NHL. Like any kid, I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
Goalie choice
The Islanders will face the Sabres on Saturday at UBS Arena, and it’s expected that coach Lane Lambert will split his goalies in back-to-back games with the faceoffs just 22 hours apart. He was asked why he chose Ilya Sorokin to face the Blue Jackets and whether that means Semyon Varlamov will play against the Sabres.
“He is our No. 1 goaltender, so we went with him,” he said. “We’re not even going to talk about [Saturday] right now.”
Isles files
The Islanders had a six-game winning streak vs. the Blue Jackets snapped . . . D Seth Helgeson, 32, matched the franchise record for games played for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport when he dressed for his 368th game Friday vs. Belleville.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
