New York Islanders Need More From Josh Bailey

The New York Islanders are in a tailspin and one of their better players, Josh Bailey, is on an extreme cold streak.

After an impressive season where Josh Bailey put up 71 points for the New York Islanders, he’s taken a step back this year. He’s on a cold streak, like most of the Islanders are right now, and they desperately need him to produce.

Josh Bailey hasn’t had a point in eight straight games, and he hasn’t had a goal in 12 games. On the season he has 50 points in 74 games (which is a pace of 55 points). For most of the year, he was on pace for over 60 so this cold streak is clearly a significant downgrade.

This will be the third straight year where Bailey has more than 50 points and at a $5 million cap figure that’s not a bad return. Yet if you look at just the 50 points that doesn’t give you the true context.

Riding shotgun to Mat Barzal for a large portion of the season should yield a bigger return for Bailey in terms of points. There’s no reason for a player like Bailey to go eight games in a row without a point.

This brings up the age-old debate of whether or not Josh Bailey is good or not. The Bailey Bashers are beginning to climb out of their caves with a club in hand ready to go after Bailey for not having a point in eight games.

I personally don’t have any agenda when it comes to Josh Bailey. When he’s good I give him credit, he’s been good the last two years and the first half of this year. When he’s bad he gets ripped for it, like right now.

Bailey has to get to his former 60 point game. With the Islanders lack of offense, he, Jordan Eberle, and Anthony Beauvillier all deserve to get read the riot act right now.