The Islanders hadn’t had a hat trick all season, so Kyle Palmieri made sure this one would be memorable.
Palmieri scored three goals in the game’s first 12:19 for the Isles against Boston, marking the fastest hat trick in team history and the first by an Islander to be completed in the first period since Jason Blake on Feb. 27, 2007.
It started 3:32 into the match when he beat Linus Ullmark off the rush.
A minute and 55 seconds later following James van Riemsdyk’s penalty for holding, Palmieri banged in a rebound from Bo Horvat to make it 2-0.
Then at the 12:19 mark, he was at the net again to clean up Ryan Pulock’s initial shot.
Hats littered onto the ice, and the Islanders had an against-all-odds 3-0 lead over the juggernaut Bruins.
It was Palmieri’s first hat trick as an Islander and third of his career, the last coming with the Devils on Oct. 30, 2019.
This was a long time coming for him, and a long time coming for the Isles.
With the Bruins in town for a crucial game, it might have been the perfect time as well.
Anders Lee scored early in the second period to give the Islanders a 4-0.