The first line label is, as coaches are fond of pointing out, largely a matter of semantics.
Even so, it is probably time to start thinking of Pierre Engvall, Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri as the Islanders’ first line — a title they have earned since Engvall joined Nelson and Palmieri in Anaheim three weeks ago.
Since then, the Islanders have outscored opponents 12-2 with that trio on the ice, including a pair of goals from Nelson and Palmieri in Thursday’s 6-1 win over the Lightning at UBS Arena.
That has come at an opportune time as well.
Not only is the nominal first line missing Mathew Barzal, but Bo Horvat has scored just twice at five-on-five since Barzal last played alongside him.
“They’ve done a terrific job here for a little while now of carrying a little bit of the offensive burden, continuing to do so,” coach Lane Lambert said. “I thought Brock was skating tonight, you can see it from the very beginning, when he’s moving his feet. Obviously we’ve said it before, Pierre, he skates. And Kyle goes to the net. Those guys are doing a really good job for us.”
The Islanders needed to bolster their top-six before acquiring Engvall. Just over a month into the 6-foot-5 Swede’s tenure on Long Island, the price of a 2024 third-round pick looks like a coup on the part of Lou Lamoriello, and finding a way to re-sign Engvall — an unrestricted free agent this summer whose price tag feels as though it is rising with each game — looks like it should be an offseason priority.
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“He’s fast. I guess I didn’t realize that from playing against him, how fast he is with the puck,” Zach Parise told The Post. “He likes to enter the zone with possession and once he gets in there, he’s big on it, too. Those three big guys on that line, they protect it well.”
Engvall, who has scored five goals with three assists as an Islander, has been one of the team’s best players night in and night out, using his size and speed to create chances.
Nelson and Palmieri, who have played together for much of the season, are doing what they have always done.
As the top line has struggled — though Horvat scoring a four-on-four goal at the tail end of Thursday’s game is a positive sign — they have taken up the mantle.
With the Islanders in do-or-die territory on a nightly basis, this has turned into their most dependable forward line.
“Just trying to play fast, support one another,” Nelson said. “We’ve had a few good looks in games. Tight support in the O-zone, creating turnovers quick and then Pierre using his speed, Palms protecting pucks and creating chances. So, a good mix right now.”
The result is a functional second line — or first, if you prefer.