SAN JOSE, Calif. — Kyle Palmieri never stayed healthy for a full season with the Islanders, and he never scored 20 goals for them.
So far, he’s been pacing both.
Heading into a crucial four-game series against the Sharks starting Thursday night, Palmieri is playing his best hockey of the year with three straight wins including four goals and a hat trick.
“We’re just keeping it simple, really,” he said after adding his 19th goal of the season in the second period of Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Blues. “We’re going to try to find ways to get the puck at the net and get some open looks. I think we’ve all worked hard to find opportunities to make a difference in the game.”
In fact, it’s no coincidence that Palmieri started to heat up around the time Patrick Roy rewrote the lines and played Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau alongside Palmieri.
The trio was perhaps the best of the new pairings, helping the Islanders to a season-tying four-game winning streak.
All three players play an intense offensive game and are able to get to the net.
After all, it provides a good fit.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the expected goal share in the four games played together was an exceptional 79.72%.
“That line is on fire,” Roy said. “They connect really well and play well together. Kyle is probably our best forward since I’ve been here. He’s been really good and right now Anders is playing well with Pager. I’m playing well with him.
“This is a very good line. I really like our line. The way they play, they connect, they cooperate, they support each other. I really love the way they play.”
Palmieri’s first two seasons with the Islanders featured flashes like this.
But it never lasted as long as everyone had hoped.
In the 2021-22 season, Palmieri scored almost all of his points in the second half after enduring a tough first half.
Last season, an otherwise successful year was interrupted by two injuries.
This time around, Palmieri is on pace to return to his 25-point season with the Devils, having just scored four points in two games for the first time since December 2018 against New Jersey.
Of his 19 points so far this year, eight have come since Roy took over as coach, tying him with Brock Nelson for the most since then.
“He was phenomenal,” Bo Horvat said. “He’s taken his game to another level all over the rink when we needed it the most. He’s making defensive plays as well. He’s scoring big goals and making plays. He’s definitely stepped up.”
Other than line combinations, I don’t think there’s much difference in Palmieri’s explanation for the recent rise.
In fact, the Islanders have done an excellent job at almost everything, but getting the puck to the net and maintaining offensive possession are near the top of the list.
Palmieri has a good line and can compete for rebounds near the crease, giving him an advantage.
“Of course I don’t think it’s just about points,” Pageau said. “I think the way he fights, he wins all his one-on-one fights. That’s what gives him the opportunity to get these opportunities, and obviously he buries them. He fought earlier this year. He has been an important player since then and I feel he is now taking it to a new level.”
