Kyle Palmieri has been a menace since Patrick Roy took over.
Kyle Palmieri has been a menace since Patrick Roy took over.
On Monday, the New York Islanders played their 40th game under head coach Patrick Roy.
Time flies, as it felt like yesterday, when we got the alert that the Hockey Hall of Famer was taking over for Lane Lambert after a failed road trip.
When general managers fire coaches, they hope the decision will shock the system, and that's what happened when Lou Lamoriello made the switch.
While the new aggressive system fits Mathew Barzal to a tee, Kyle Palmieri has been the Islanders' best player since the coaching change.
After scoring in their 6-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, Palmieri recorded his 20th goal under Roy:
Palmieri also has 11 assists to add to the goal total for 31 points in those 40 games.
That's a 41-goal, 23-assist projection over the course of an 82-game season.
This does not include his one-goal, two-assist postseason performance.
Palmieri's 20 goals over the last 40 games lead the Islanders (Brock Nelson is second with 16), and he is tied for the ninth-highest goals in the NHL over that span.
His 15 even-strength goals and five power-play goals also lead the Islanders.
Like an infomercial, "But wait, there's more!"
Six of Palmieri's 20 goals have served as game-winners.
Spoiler alert: That leads the team.
"Laner was a great coach. He's got a great hockey mind," Palmieri said after the team's fourth game under Roy. "But, Patrick, he's come in, and he's a new voice, and everyone who's been around him so far, he just oozes passion, and that's inspiring as a player."
While shot quality matters, Palmieri's 160 shots on goal during this span and 15.4 shooting percentage lead the Islanders.
Now, to the advanced stats.
According to NaturalStatrick.com, Palmieri's 22.35 Individual Expected Goals rank fourth in the NHL since Jan. 21.
When Palmieri's been on the ice over these 40 games (746:51), the Islanders have out-shot their opponents 451-355, outscoring them 57-41.
"He's a great vet," Roy said last season. "I mean, he's been in Jersey. He's here. I feel like he's doing every details really well, plays on the wing. I just sensed that Brock and him have a very good connection. I mean, the chemistry between the two is really, really good, and I'm very lucky to have good vets like this."
Palmieri is in the final year of a four-year deal worth $5 million annually.
While Palmieri's future on Long Island after the 2024-25 season is unknown, he's showing that, when healthy, even at 33, he is a key piece to the success of this franchise.