Islanders: Is Zach Parise Really a Second Half Player?

By now, I feel like you should know my feelings on Islanders forward Zach Parise. I think he consistently plays with a good effort and is developing chances, he's unfortunately just not converting very many for the New York Islanders.

He has just one goal and nine points in 32 games and obviously, as someone who has 394 career goals in his NHL career, he'd probably like to find the back of the net a little bit more. Today, when speaking to the media, he said that he's told the team he's more of a second-half player.

I was curious to see if what he's saying is true, if he does play better in the second half so here is what I found for him over the last five years of his career.

2021: First 23 games: 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) | Final 22 games: 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists)

Well, last year he certainly scored more goals in the second half of the season but the assist numbers dropped off a little bit. If you want to include what he did in the playoffs, he had three points (2 goals, 1 assist) in four games played there. So while the numbers are close, I might give him this one as a better second half.

2019-2020: First 34 games: 19 points (13 goals, 6 assists) | Final 35 games: 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists)

Yep, okay there is a drastic difference here. In the second half of the year his assist numbers went way up and he played at a .77 points per game pace. Do I think he goes to a .77 points per game pace this year? No, but he's two for two so far on his claims.

2018-2019: First 37 games: 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists) | Final 37 games: 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists)

He wasn't better in the second half of the season, but it's not like he had a particularly bad second half.

2017-2018: First 21 games: 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) | Final 21 games: 17 points (12 goals, 5 assists)

Well, he's on the money with his assessment of 2017-2018. Talk about an impressive second half turnaround he more than doubled his point total from the first half.

2016-2017: First 34 games: 20 points (8 goals, 12 assists) | Final 35 games: 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists)

Once again, Zach Parise was correct. He scored both more points and more goals over the second half of his season. So what about a total?

Total

First Half: 149 games - 89 points (44 goals, 45 assists) | .60 points per game

Second Half: 150 games - 102 points (50 goals, 52 assists) | .68 points per game

So yes, Zach Parise is definitely a better second half player. Hopefully, a big second half is in store for him in 2022.