ZACH PARISE

NEWARK, N.J. Zach Parise would have made a good Canadian. In fact, he sort of is one, seeing as father J-P played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. Almost took referee Josef Kompalla’s head off in Game 8. Perhaps you remember it. One thing is certain. Parise follows the rules, even when they’re allowed to be broken. New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello prohibits his players from displaying facial hair during the regular season. But once the playoffs begin, the razors can hibernate. Andy Greene and Ilya Kovalchuk used the opportunity to rock some serious beardage, while David Clarkson and Adam Henrique removed theirs when the Devils went down 0-3 to the Los Angeles Kings in the final. It’s interesting, though, that the Devils’ two best players, Parise and Martin Brodeur,…

Tiny Tyler Walks Tall

The Buffalo Sabres came achingly close to a playoff spot and a primary reason they even had a shot was the line of tiny Tyler Ennis centering mastodons Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno. Ennis had long been a winger, but switching to the middle invigorated him and his new linemates. “I love that I’m always moving,” Ennis said. “Sometimes on the wing you can get locked in the D-zone, but at center you’re always moving. Once you get it, you’re usually breaking the puck out. You can go east, west, make a five-foot bump pass then jump to an open hole. It’s fun being able to be creative like that.” Ennis made the full-time shift to pivot March 10 and in the last 14 games of the season, he racked up eight goals…

Beyond His Years

Shortly after Jaden Schwartz left Colorado College to sign with the St. Louis Blues in March, the talented winger was seen meandering the streets of downtown Chicago – alone. Schwartz, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft, has plenty of friendly teammates, including Alex Pietrangelo, who invited Schwartz to live with him in St. Louis the remainder of the season. But two months into his pro career, he proved capable of navigating new territory. Schwartz, who turned 20 after the season, found twine on his first two NHL shots, becoming the first teenager since Eric Lindros to score in his first two games. Once the Blues got healthy, Schwartz was a healthy scratch in the playoffs, but in only seven regular season games, he earned the club’s attention.…

The Instigator