Pageau and Palmieri Proving Worth in Playoffs

JG Pageau and Kyle Palmieri may not be the two biggest guys on the New York Islanders, but the feisty forwards have made a sizable impact in the playoffs.
Pageau co-leads the Islanders with nine points (2G, 7A) in the postseason, while Palmieri's four goals - including an OT winner in Game 1 vs Pittsburgh - are tied for the team lead. They're hitting the scoresheet and leaving a mark on the opposition, bringing an edge and some tenacity to the Islanders third line.

Neither forward stands over 6'0 - Pageau is listed at 5'10, 180lbs., while Palmieri is 5'11, 185lbs. - but they haven't shied away from going to hard areas or mixing it up in post-whistle scrums. They both play with a playoff mentality and as a combo, seemingly feed off one another.
"They raise their game, they're not afraid of getting involved, they're not afraid of contact," Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "They quietly both really enjoy the battle, which is a great quality."
Pageau's showed his fearlessness since his first game as an Islander, giving up five inches and 40lbs. in a fight with Jacob Trouba. He didn't back down from some post-whistle face-washing with Washington's Zdeno Chara and Tom Wilson back in April.

In Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pageau was a part of the brouhaha with the Crosby line that saw all 10 players wind up in the penalty box. Who was right alongside Pageau, drawing the extra penalty that led to the Islanders' power-play goal? Palmieri.
"I think that's why a guy like [Pageau] has had success in the playoffs because he loves the challenge of that moment of battling you," Trotz said. "It's got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder because he's not the biggest guy and I think [Palmieri] has that in his game. When he played against us, the thing I liked about Palms was that he had a bit of that edge, especially when you tried to be hard on him and that's playoff hockey."
Like Pageau, Palmieri's game seems well suited for the postseason. The winger has six points (4G, 2A) in nine playoff games, which is one more point than he had in 17 regular season games after being acquired by the New Jersey Devils. The five-time, 20-goal scorer has made a living around the net and was sniffing around the crease when he jammed in a goal during Game 2. Pageau also potted a goal in Game 2, potting an Anthony Beauvillier dish from about four feet from the net.
"Obviously playing against [Pageau] for all of these years you know what type of player he is and how effective he is," Palmieri said on May 30. "We've started to develop some chemistry and our games complement each other well and we'll continue to grow on that and continue to try and make an impact and help our team win."

Palmieri and Pageau have been an effective duo in the playoffs, whether they've played with Oliver Wahlstrom, who had three points (1G, 2A) in five games before suffering a lower-body injury, or more recently Travis Zajac. Zajac announced his presence in Game 6 against Pittsburgh, making a key defensive play to rob Kasperi Kapanen of a goal, getting a stick on a puck in the crease.
"That third line is a lot of energy and gets the puck up the ice, gets in on the forecheck and agitates a little bit," Scott Mayfield said. "Each line brings something different and when everyone is pulling on the rope, bringing their A game I think that's when we're at our best."
The line was tasked with containing Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak in Game 3, and did a quality job at five-on-five, limiting their high-danger chances at even strength. Pageau was especially effective in the faceoff circle against Bergeron, winning 10-of-14 draws in Game 3, while Palmieri, who had an assist, and Zajac each drew a penalty.

"They had a good bulk of the Bergeron line," Trotz said. "I thought they handled that line quite well, that line was really dangerous on the power play. They're going to get some looks against anybody, but that line did a fairly good job against them."
It was hard to fault the line on the OT winner, as they kept Marchand to the outside and a sharp angle, but they'll likely be called upon again when the teams meet in Game 4, both to try and contain the Bergeron line and continue their offensive production. Either way, Pageau and Palmieri are sure to bring some feisty play and be at the center of the action.