Isles' Okposo, Devils' Parise have mutual respect

NEWARK - Although Kyle Okposo and Zach Parise attended the prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary's hockey academy in Fairbault, Minn., the two never actually overlapped.

They had seen each other around - Okposo played for Parise's father, former Islander J.P., and skated with Parise occasionally in the summers - but it wasn't until a fateful visit to a local golf course that their friendship coalesced.

"I beat him in a round in golf and he wasn't too happy about it, so we had to go again," joked Parise, who scored his 38th goal and added two assists last night during the Devils' 7-1 rout of the Isles at Prudential Center.

Such an anecdote defines that nature of the two young stars' relationship - friendly but very competitive. Their relentless will to win and desire to excel have united them, even if they do face off against each other throughout the season.

"We're both pretty competitive, and it's all in good fun, but it does get really competitive," Parise said. "I think it's best for both of us. We have a good system where we're not trying to outdo the other, but we don't want to get shown up by the other, either."

Given what Parise has accomplished in his already impressive NHL career - an All-Star selection, an Olympic spot and 81 points (38 goals, 43 assists) this season - Okposo has found himself a formidable guy to train with during the offseason in Minneapolis and a fine hockey player to emulate.

"He's definitely a good friend to have," Okposo said.

Okposo, who has 18 goals and 31 assists in 81 games this season, has identified certain facets of Parise's game he'd like to incorporate into his own.

"Just the way he finds the puck all the time. He's always around the net, and that's something I want to incorporate in my game,'' Okposo said. "He works so hard every shift, he never takes a night off and that's something everybody aspires to."

But the admiration is not one-sided. For as much respect that Okposo gives Parise, the latter reciprocates.

"He can be a great player, obviously. That's a team with a lot of good young players going in the right direction, and I think he's going to be one of the big parts," Parise said. "He's a big kid and he's got good hands. There aren't a lot of guys that play harder or work harder than he does. He's going to do really well there."

How vital a role can Okposo play with the Islanders? Could a "C" potentially replace his "A" in the near future?

"No question," Parise said. "Off the ice, he's a really easy-going, likable guy, but he plays hard, and as a teammate, that's something you really look at no matter how old he is. He's 21 and he already has an 'A.' For a guy only in his second full season in the league, that says a lot."

Notes & quotes: Bridgeport forward Micheal Haley made his NHL debut as an emergency recall to replace Josh Bailey (facial injury). Sean Bergenheim left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return.