ELMONT, N.Y. — Kyle Palmieri’s first goals of the season arrived with the kind of release that had been building for nearly 11 months. The 35-year-old winger scored twice, including the deciding goal in the third period, as the New York Islanders beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 at UBS Arena on Tuesday.
For Palmieri, the two-goal night was more than a bounce-back on the score sheet. It marked 329 days since his previous goal and another milestone in his return from a torn ACL.
Palmieri finds the net again
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Palmieri opened the scoring at 14:57 of the first period. He established position at the top of the crease and deflected Matthew Kessel’s wrist shot past Vancouver goaltender Leevi Merilainen.
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The Islanders built a two-goal lead before the Canucks drew even, setting up a decisive final period.
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At 5:38 of the third, Mattias Maccelli found Palmieri moving into the slot. Palmieri snapped a wrist shot over Merilainen’s glove to restore New York’s lead for good.
“Getting back on the ice for the opening day of camp was emotional,” Palmieri said. “Then to score again after about 11 months, it feels great. Scoring always feels good, and it is even better when the team wins.”
Palmieri entered the game without a point through five appearances. Before the injury ended his 2025-26 season, he had produced six goals and 12 assists in 25 games. His final goal before Tuesday came on the same Nov. 18, 2025 night that defenseman Alexander Romanov suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Palmieri tore his ACL 10 days later.
A difficult return hits close to home
Palmieri and Romanov both returned for camp last month, but Romanov’s latest comeback ended almost immediately. The 26-year-old defenseman appeared in three games before tearing his ACL on Oct. 6, an injury expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season.
Palmieri knows the road Romanov now faces. He said returning from his own injury demanded patience, particularly at his age, and that he continues to learn where his body is in the recovery process.
“You have to stay locked into each day,” Palmieri said. “That has been the approach for 10 and a half months — keep improving and get back to being a player who can make an impact.”
He plans to be a resource for Romanov through surgery, rehabilitation and the long stretch before a return to game action.
“The game can disappear from you very fast,” Palmieri said. “You understand how much you miss it, and how much more you value it when you get back. I just went through what he is about to begin, so I will do whatever I can for him. He is in a hard spot, but he is a tough kid. He will get through it and come back better.”
DeBoer saw the turnaround coming
Coach Peter DeBoer said Palmieri had begun to press after his quiet start, but believed the winger’s game had been trending in the right direction. DeBoer pointed to Saturday’s 5-3 home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning as Palmieri’s strongest outing of the young season before the breakthrough against Vancouver.
“We spoke the day before, and he was starting to get discouraged about his game,” DeBoer said. “What he is experiencing is normal. It is a tougher process when you are not 25 anymore.
“There were signs in the Tampa game that his timing was returning and he was doing the things he does well. It was good to see him get rewarded.”
Palmieri has been a reliable scorer when healthy. He totaled 54 goals across the two seasons before the injury, including a 30-goal campaign in 2023-24, the second time he reached that mark in his NHL career.
Lee’s support becomes Palmieri’s example
During his rehabilitation, Palmieri leaned on former Islanders captain Anders Lee, who tore his ACL on March 11, 2021. Lee’s injury helped set in motion Palmieri’s acquisition from the New Jersey Devils less than a month later, and Palmieri helped New York reach the Eastern Conference Final, where the Islanders lost to Tampa Bay in seven games.
Lee is now with the Utah Mammoth, but remains close with Palmieri.
“I depended on him a lot,” Palmieri said. “He would check on me even when I was not reaching out. That is the kind of person he is. He was an invaluable help before surgery and afterward, and we still talk often. We miss him.”
Palmieri hopes to offer Romanov that same support while focusing on remaining healthy and helping the Islanders return to the playoffs.
New York is 3-3-0 with 78 games remaining. The Islanders begin a two-game Ontario trip Thursday against the Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m. ET.
As for whether Tuesday’s goals can become the start of another Palmieri scoring run, the veteran did not overcomplicate it: “Let’s hope so. That would be nice.”
