Islanders Josh Bailey Continues Productive Streak

Josh Bailey is good. Okay, so now that half of Islanders fans are punching air let’s talk to the rational group of fans who realize how important Josh Bailey has been to this team over the last five seasons specifically.

In the playoffs, for the second year in a row, Bailey has taken his game to another level. He had 20 points in 22 games last year, and so far through 13 games, he has 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) to his name.

His point streak is now up to three games with five points over that stretch. When talking about the Islanders second line, by far the best line so far through the playoffs, many go to Brock Nelson or Anthony Beauvillier first.

Now I get it, they’ve both been phenomenal in their own right. Brock has six goals and Beau has 11 points so clearly they’ve had some pretty great success together but it’s actually Bailey who has been the most productive with 12.

In yesterday’s game, his setup on the Mathew Barzal goal was a thing of beauty. The play by Barzal has gotten most of the love but none of that happens without the heads-up play by Bails.

Even before this goal, Bailey generated a beautiful scoring chance for himself and came just inches away from a highlight-reel goal putting one off the post but beating Andrei Vasilevskiy.

In his last 43 playoff games, Josh Bailey has 38 points including 11 goals, and now in his Islander career he has 49 points (15 goals, 34 assists) in 65 games (.75 points per game). Please keep sleeping on Josh Bailey, he’s turning into one of the more clutch Islanders in their post-dynasty era.

His career 49 points has him 12th all-time trailing Duane Sutter for 11th by just three points. Stefan Persson is 10th all-time with 57 points so you’d have to imagine by the end of his Islander career he’s top-10 in playoff scoring for this franchise.

After a tough start to his career, on some pretty awful Islander teams, I couldn’t be happier for Josh Bailey. If anyone deserves this kind of success, it’s him.