Islanders' Kyle Palmieri doesn't let injury absences dull his enthusiasm 

 Being an NHLer means not having to apologize. Not for a goal that goes in off the skate. Not for playing after a long injury absence and promptly getting hurt again.

 “I don’t really have any regrets, per se, of coming back too early,” Kyle Palmieri told Newsday of his previous game against the Coyotes.

 The top-six right wing from Smithtown was in Tuesday night’s lineup against the Coyotes at UBS Arena after scoring a goal in the Islanders’ 3-2 season-opening win over the Sabres on Saturday night. Brock Nelson’s rebound attempt went in off Palmieri’s boot.

 Still, it was a promising start from a player counted on for consistent offensive production and one who missed a good chunk of last season. His second line with Nelson and speedy left wing Pierre Engvall seemed to quickly recapture the chemistry it showed late last season.

 Palmieri, 32 and in the third season of a four-year, $20 million deal, had 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 regular-season games before adding two goals and three assists in the Islanders’ six-game, first-round playoff loss to the Hurricanes.

  “When you have a player like that who is out of the lineup, it just slots people in different areas,” coach Lane Lambert said when asked what the Islanders missed last season during Palmieri’s extended absence. “The quality and the key to a good team is everyone has a role to play. Sometimes, the slotting becomes a little bit different and it just offsets the balance of what your chemistry is.”

 Palmieri wound up being sidelined for 27 of 28 games with an upper-body injury after initially being hurt in a mid-ice collision with Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly on Nov. 21. Palmieri did finish that 3-2 overtime win in Toronto despite missing 10 minutes in the third period and downplaying the issue after the game.

 Nonetheless, Palmieri then missed the next 10 games before returning for the Islanders’ 5-4 loss in Arizona on Dec. 16. Palmieri was pulled for concussion spotting in the third period of that game after taking a high hit from Nick Ritchie. Palmieri was cleared and returned late in the third period, only to miss the next 17 games.

 “It was tough,” Palmieri said. “It was our first time at Mullett Arena [the Coyotes’ 5,000-seat temporary home on the Arizona State campus] and it’s kind of a weird situation. For me, I was excited to be back. I felt like I was ready. The result ended up being a setback. Sometimes, it’s a little out of your control. You try and get yourself healthy and move on.”

 As for his skate-directed goal against the Sabres, Palmieri said that can be as much a catalyst for a strong start as scoring on a wicked wrist shot.

 “I mean, to me it doesn’t matter,” Palmieri said. “You can have nice ones. You can have ugly ones. They all count the same.”

 And, of course, what matters most to Palmieri is being available to play.

 “Sometimes injuries are out of your control,” Palmieri said. “You want to be healthy and be out there with your teammates. There was a large chunk of the season last year that I wasn’t able to do it. For me, it’s really just enjoying it. A lot of that stuff you can’t control. Some bad breaks in the last 12 months have been tough in that way.

 “It’s a hard game and this is a great locker room and a great team to be part of. Anytime you get that taken away from you for a little bit, it’s tough.”

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.