After 43 games, who are these Islanders?

Identity, Kyle Palmieri explained, is entwined with style of play.

Both are implemented during training camp and evolve over the course of a season as circumstances dictate. One cannot exist without the other.

The Smithtown born-and-bred right winger’s assertion prompted a question: Who and what are these Islanders 43 games into this season?

“We’re a team that five-on-five, we like to get in there and generate. It’s not a ton off the rush, but I think it’s more so getting in and getting to our forecheck and create turnovers, so that kind of identity hasn’t changed,” Palmieri told Newsday at Northwell Health Ice Center ahead of Thursday night’s game at UBS Arena against Metropolitan Division rival Philadelphia. “We just want to continue to try and make an impact through that game in and game out.”

Creating and sustaining an impact has been a lingering issue during the first 3 1⁄2 months of the season. It’s part of the reason the Islanders (17-19-7, 41 points) entered the first of three games in 14 days against the Flyers in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of last-place Buffalo.

“We want consistency from everybody,” coach Patrick Roy said after the morning skate. “We expect to play a strong game. Do we want more consistency in our identity? Yes. I mean we’d like to see us a little more consistent. If you ask the players, they’ll give you the same answers.

“Yeah, we could be better and play faster. We could be better in compete and bringing pucks to the net and things that we believe makes us successful every game.”

Coming off a season-high three-game winning streak — all on the road — the Islanders began their seven-game homestand Tuesday night believing that they had turned a corner and were ready to reinsert themselves in the Eastern Conference playoff mix.

Two-and–a-half hours later, they heard boos from the 15,101 job appraisement officials who paid to watch the 2-0 loss to the Senators.

In a game that had only two power plays — one for each team — the contest was devoid of flow as there were 36 faceoffs in the 60 minutes.

“Choppy game,” Anders Lee said. “It was one of those nights. There was no time. You have to put it in and go to work and they broke it out well when we did and so we didn’t have a ton of offensive zone entries with possession or time as much as we would have liked.”

Nothing Lee said can be argued. The Islanders generated 24 shots on goal — none on their only power play — against Leevi Merilainen, who was making his ninth career NHL start in goal.

The core of the Islanders still mostly is composed of the players who helped them reach the NHL’s Final Four in 2020 and 2021. Ten players who were members of the back-to-back Final Four squads dressed for the game against the Senators. Those Islanders teams more often than not found ways to win games even when they were not playing at an optimal level.

So what do the Islanders need to do to consistently start winning games and qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third straight year?

“We have to do a better job of dictating what way the game is going to go,” Ryan Pulock said. “Obviously, there’s going to be whistles and different things to slow it down, but I think we just weren’t able to get to our game in a consistent manner. We were getting pucks in not consistently, and I think that kind of affected the offense we were able to create.”

Notes & quotes: Simon Holmstrom (upper body, IR) was a full participant in the morning skate and wore an orange non-contact jersey. “He’s getting closer,” Roy said . . . Alex Romanov (upper body) missed his third straight game . . . Ilya Sorokin started after missing the previous two games with an undisclosed illness . . . The Islanders are hosting 250 girls at the franchise’s second “Girls Hockey Weekend” Saturday and Sunday at The Park at UBS Arena. On Saturday, there will be a “Learn To Play Jamboree” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Sunday, attendees will be coached by Islanders alum Arron Asham and coaches from LIU and SUNY schools.