In an exclusive interview with The Hockey News, Stefen Rosner caught up with Brock Nelson, Pierre Engvall, and Kyle Palmieri to discuss why their line has been able to have continued success.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- It was a summer of question marks for the New York Islanders.
After a disappointing ending to their 2022-23 season after barely making the postseason, how could general manager Lou Lamoriello make the team better?
Despite fan outrage for not going out and signing free agents or making those hockey trades he's always speaking about, he decided to bring his pending unrestricted free agents back.
Handing out seven-year deals like you all will be doing with your Halloween candy on Tuesday night, the outrage grew.
Well, one of those players who received a seven-year extension is Pierre Engvall, and that meant that the Islanders' best line in the second half of last season and their six-game playoff series was going to be back together.
The threesome, consisting of Engvall, Brock Nelson, and Kyle Palmieri, have continued where they left off, as they've been not just the best line for the Islanders thus far but one of the better threesomes in the entire National Hockey League.
According to MoneyPuck.com, "The Perfection Line" has been lethal, tied for the fifth-most goals by any line this season, with five, allowing just one goal.
Naturalstatrick.com shares that when this threesome is on the ice (68:55 TOI), the Islanders have outshot their opponents 48-36, earning 24 high-danger chances to their opponents' nine.
"You would need to say that Palmieri, Nelson, and Engvall weren't just guys that got hot for 30 games," former Islander and current MSG Networks analyst Thomas Hickey said on Hockey Night in New York Sunday. "They can play like a '1-A' or a '2-A' or a '1-B' first line. And they've looked like that."
The Hockey News caught up with all three members of the line to find out why they've been able to have continued success.
BROCK NELSON
Over the last few seasons, Nelson has had to carry the Islandes offense.
The foot...skate rather is on the gas early this season, as fresh off a 36-goal campaign, the 32-year-old has three goals and an assist through seven games.
Nelson's shot remains lethal, and his linemates have done a strong job creating more time and space for No. 29.
With Palmieri getting up the ice and crashing the net, it's forced the opposition to pay attention to No. 21, and any type of extra time and space given to Nelson is ultra-dangerous.
"I think, just having trust and belief in one another and each other's games and then myself, I don't think we thought it was a surprise," Nelson told The Hockey News about their continued success. "But outside of that, I guess it doesn't really matter for us.
"We just want to go out there and be a line that goes out there and generates chances, and I think we've done that pretty well and have a good mix of speed."
Nelson's 28 shots are second on the Islanders behind Bo Horvat's 29.
Despite the early success, Nelson isn't content.
"Just continuing to build on that and continue to push, I think, is the biggest thing," Nelson said. "Not being content with, you know, having good games just want to string them together, and it's a long year, so we want to do it over and over."
KYLE PALMIERI
The best ability is availability, and Palmieri has struggled to be available for New York.
In and out of the lineup over the last few years, Palmieri struggled to get going and live up to his annual $5 million price tag.
After two head injuries in the first half of last season, Palmieri finally looked like the player the Islanders thought they were acquiring, scoring 10 goals with 14 assists in the final 34 games, primarily alongside Nelson and Engvall.
Despite missing all but one preseason game due to an undisclosed injury, Palmieri is on fire out of the gates, his best start on Long Island, with three goals and four assists in seven games (two goals, two assists at five-on-five).
"You always want to get positive results. It's tough sledding when it's going the other way, but I think, right now, I'm just taking it day by day," Palmieri told THN. "Like I said, I'm having a lot of fun playing with my linemates, and this group's obviously been together for a while. We enjoy playing with each other. So just enjoy it."
Palmieri does it all for his line, whether it be long-distance shooting, crashing the net, or winning board battles. His ability to stay on the ice will be the only thing that holds this line back from reaching their full potential.
PIERRE ENGVALL
Engvall was an afterthought on a deep Toronto Maple Leafs lineup before his former general manager Lou Lamoriello acquired him before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline.
In his first few games with New York, Engvall and Lambert struggled to find the proper place for him, but everything changed when he skated with Nelson and Palmieri on their California road trip.
Engvall scored five goals and four assists in the final 18 games of the 2022-23 season and inked his extension on July 1st.
Through seven games this season, Engvall has no goals, but three assists, which leads New York.
Engvall isn't worried about the points, and neither should the Islanders because his abilities are what's allowing his line to garner chances.
"Strong guy. I've said a few times a couple of different ways where he can generate some rushes and chances or even off the cycles down low," Nelson said on Engvall. "Pierre can create from a stand-still in the neutral zone into a neutral zone rush that turns into a chance which is nice."
THN asked Engvall why he had confidence that his line's success last season could continue.
"I think in all the games -- at least half of them -- we've been playing pretty good, creating a lot, and working really hard on the ice," Engvall told THN. "I think maybe we haven't scored as much as we want here in the beginning, but I think, if you keep working hard and do the things that you're good at, I think it's going to come."
Engvall's ability to skate has changed everything for New York, as he's strengthened their transition game exponentially. And he's allowed for Nelson and Palmieri to not have to worry about being the transitioners or doing too much to create chances.
It's been a smooth showing for the line, and the move to bring Engvall back can't be questioned anymore.
"I think that my skating comes to life even more on the ice," Engvall told THN. "You're feeling the puck more, skating more, I feel really good out there."
Here's what Hickey had to say about Engvall:
TAKEAWAYS
The Islanders "Perfection Line" shouldn't be the only Islander line leaving its mark at a consistent rate. But with Horvat and Mathew Barzal, along with Anders Lee, still trying to produce consistently, it's incredibly important that Nelson, Palmieri, and Engvall continue to be that force offensively.
Because once Horvat and Barzal start to truly become that dynamic duo, the opposition will have to deal with a dynamic top-six, something teams didn't have to really worry about when facing New York.