Park`s Second Goal for Minnesota Wild

4:22 minutes into overtime and tied 2-2.

Minnesota Wild was pushed to the edge when taking on the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the NHL playoffs, a team that has won the Stanley Cup twice in 1996 and 2001. Prior to yesterday`s game, the Avalanche had won two games, leading the round 3-2. One more win for the Avalanche would wrap up the playoffs.

During the last critical moments of overtime, a hero appeared on the ice. It was not Marian Gaborik. It was Richard Park, a Korean-American, relatively small for a NHL player standing in at 180 cm and weighing 86 kg.

Park, who hit the post with shots in Games 2, 3 and 4, rushed in from the right circle and flicked a wrist shot high over the left shoulder of Roy, deemed one of the best goalkeepers in the NHL. At the very moment the puck rattled the net, the 19,350 Wild fans sprang up in joy. All the Wild players celebrated Park`s goal, and fans gave a long-lasting standing ovation to honor him.

Game 6 was prepared for Park. 1:45 into the third period, Park put the Wild ahead with a goal. It was his first in six games during the playoff. Prior to this goal, he had only recorded one assist in Game 1.

10 minutes later, Marian Gaborik scored one more, and put Minnesota ahead 2-0 midway through the third period. After trailing 2-0 late in the third period, Colorado looked like the favorite for overtime after getting goals from Joe Sakic and Greg de Vries against Manny Fernandez in the final 3½ minutes.

The Minnesota Wild was definitely not playing like a 3-year-old team making a postseason debut.

Richard Park scored his second goal of the game 4:22 into overtime Monday night to give the Wild a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche and force a decisive Game 7.

Following Jim Paek who received the honor of wearing the Stanley ring twice in the early 1990s with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Richard became the second NHL Korean-American player. Along with his family, he went over to the United States in 1979, and started playing ice hockey in 1984. After a brief, but successful career in Canada, he joined Pittsburgh in 1994.

Park began to draw media attention after joining the newly born Minnesota Wild in 2001. He signed a 1.5 million-dollar contract, and recorded ten goals and fifteen assists in the 2001-2002 season. During this season, he scored fourteen goals and made ten assists.

A first for a Korean-American, he represented the U.S. national team in the World Championships held last April. At the championships, he scored three goals, the highest number among the American players, and had three assists.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com