Kyle Palmieri's season has been a classic case of Jekyll and Hyde.
For the first half of the 2016-17 campaign, it didn't seem at all likely that the New Jersey Devils forward would replicate the 30-goal, 57-point effort that earned him a five-year extension last July.
Then came the second half.
Palmieri hit the 25-goal mark with a pair of markers in a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night, notching a third straight multi-point game and his second multi-goal outing in the last three contests.
The 26-year-old winger has been one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise disastrous season for the Devils, leading the club in goals and points.
Palmieri has been on fire since the latter half of the 2016-17 campaign officially began.
| Palmieri | GP | G | A | P | S% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since Jan. 13 | 27 | 17 | 8 | 25 | 18.1 |
It's been like an entirely new season for him compared to his first-half production.
| Palmieri | GP | G | A | P | S% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 13 - Jan. 12 | 41 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 10.3 |
It initially appeared as though the Devils' five-year commitment might have been a mistake, but Palmieri is now on pace to score about 29 goals and 56 points, which would all but equal his output from 2015-16.
New Jersey has lost 11 of its last 12 games, and the Devils sit dead last in the Eastern Conference, but at least they can take comfort in knowing a major part of their core has rediscovered his stellar form.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.