Zach Parise scores backwards, between-the-legs goal for Wild (Video)

Minnesota Wild left wing Zach Parise scored an unbelievable goal in Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights by shooting backward between his legs.

Who needs to look at the net they’re shooting at to score a goal? Not Zach Parise.

The Minnesota Wild winger produced one of the top highlights of the NHL Playoffs on Friday when he improbably scored a goal by hitting the puck through his legs while facing backward.

It was one of those goals that gets better and better the more you watch it.

https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1398454127248625665?s=20

When the puck trickled through the defense, Parise took advantage and caught the goalkeeper completely off-guard.

Parise’s heads-up play tied the game for Minnesota late in the first period against the Golden Knights. He couldn’t have picked a better time for it in Game 7 with the series on the line.

Zach Parise is the wily veteran the Wild needed in the playoffs

Even getting to Game 7 looked unlikely for the Wild at one point in the series. While Minnesota won Game 1, Vegas won the next three games to take a 3-1 series lead.

The Wild pulled out wins in Game 5 and 6 to force a final, decisive match on Friday.

The 36-year-old Parise wasn’t even part of the plan early in the series. He didn’t play in the first three games and only got added to the rotation in Game 4 because Marcus Johansson broke his arm.

Parise, Minnesota’s all-time scoring leader in the playoffs, proved just how valuable experience can be. He scored in Game 5 and had an assist in Game 6.

The trouble for the Wild was allowing Vegas to break the deadlock again early in the second period. While Kirill Kaprizov leveled it up on a power play soon after, Vegas found two more goals in the second to take a 4-2 lead.