Kyle Palmieri has become a reliable playoff performer for the NY Islanders

Consistency hasn't always been there for Kyle Palmieri since GM Lou Lamoriello acquired the power forward from the New Jersey Devils at the 2021 trade deadline, but in the post-season, Palmieri has made the move and the subsequent four-year contract extension worth it.

Injuries and streaky play have impacted Palmieri's scoring during the regular season as he's produced below the expectations set throughout his career, where he had been a consistent 25-30 goal scorer. In 141 regular season games with the Islanders, the 32-year-old has 33 goals and 37 assists after scoring 52 goals in his final 139 games with New Jersey.

However, things changed for Palmieri starting in late January, and was one of the team's best forwards throughout the second half of the season, thriving on a line with Brock Nelson and Pierre Engvall. The style that brought him success in the second half has now translated over to the postseason, where he leads all players in the series in points through three games (2G, 2A).

"He's been strong in battles down low in the offensive zone," head coach Lane Lambert said. "I think he's taken pucks to the net, as he did in Carolina, and is a good net-front presence on the power play. So he's been good."

In addition to his redirection on the power play that gave the Islanders a lead late in the 3rd period, Palmieri scored a beautiful backhand goal to spark the Isles in Game 2 and had the primary assist on Nelson's goal that gave the Isles their first lead of the series.

Since returning to the lineup on Jan. 23, Palmieri has scored 12 goals and 16 assists in 35 games (regular season and playoffs). Through 21 playoff games with the Islanders, he now has nine goals and four assists, including two game-winning goals, the one on Friday night, and his OT winner in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2021.

In Sunday afternoon's tilt with the Carolina Hurricanes, Palmieri has the chance to become the sixth player in team history to score three consecutive multi-point playoff games. If successful, he would join a list that includes Bryan Trottier, Wayne Merrick, Dennis Potvin, and Mike Bossy.