Islanders' Kyle Palmieri plays his 700th NHL game
Islanders center Kyle Palmieri is greeted by teammates after his goal against the New York Rangers in the first period of an NHL hockey game at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
DALLAS — Smithtown’s Kyle Palmieri is 31 and has played 12-plus seasons in the NHL.
And he fully appreciated reaching his 700th game as the Islanders lost to the Stars, 5-2, on Saturday night at American Airlines Center.
“It’s a little milestone,” Palmieri said. “It’s a lot of games. I’m proud of it and I’m hoping there’s a lot more to come.”
The Ducks made Palmieri the 26th overall pick in 2009, but he played only one full season with the organization that did not include at least a couple of games in the AHL before being traded to the Devils in 2015.
“I spent a decent amount of time in the minors,” Palmieri said. “Trying to find my way and find my role into an everyday player took a little longer than maybe I would have liked. Now, looking back, it’s something that helped me a lot. You learn a lot through those call-ups and getting a taste of it.”
Back in
Josh Bailey, the longest-tenured Islander, who reached the 1,000-game milestone earlier this season, logged 14:48 after being a healthy scratch the last two games in favor of Ross Johnston.
“You’re accustomed to playing pretty much every other day,” said Bailey, who has been a healthy scratch three times this season and is without a point in his last six games. “At this point in my career, I’ve been through these things before. You stay ready, and when you get back out there, you try to make the most of it.”
Playing games
Stars coach Pete DeBoer said after his team’s morning skate that he had a game-time decision when it came to his defensemen. Pressed on which player was a game-time decision, the longtime coach gave an honest answer on why he couldn’t answer.
“I hate this game as much as you guys [in the media],” DeBoer said. “But if I tell you who the game-time decision is, then everyone knows he’s compromised. I know that doesn’t bother you. But if Matt Martin is running you and you’ve got something wrong, that bothers [the player].”
Isles files
D Adam Pelech played in his 400th game . . . The Stars’ Roope Hintz, who has a 10-game point streak, was a late scratch because of an upper-body injury . . . Stars D Jani Hakanpaa scored an empty-net goal . . . D Robin Salo and Johnston were the healthy scratches . . . G Semyon Varlamov makes his offseason home in Lubbock, Texas, about a five-hour drive from Dallas.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
