Josh Bailey reveals the favorite goal of his 15-year NY Islanders career

Josh Bailey played 1,057 regular season games and 82 playoff games during his 15-year NHL career with the New York Islanders. He scored 184 goals during the regular season and another 18 post-season. While the sometimes maligned forward has plenty of memorable moments to pull from, one goal stands out amongst the rest.

Appearing on the Talkin' Isles podcast with Greg Picker and Cory Wright, Bailey talked about being drafted 9th overall, serenaded with "Hey Josh Bailey!" and the team's bubble run. He also spoke about a moment in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs that produced the most memorable goal of his career.

The 2018-19 Islanders under Barry Trotz were one of the surprise teams in the NHL, finishing with 102 points and home ice in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 1988. To make the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs even more special, home games in the first round series versus the Pittsburgh Penguins were to be held at the Nassau Coliseum and not Barclays Center.

After Pittsburgh scored late in the third to tie the game, Bailey scored at 4:39 of the extra period to give the Islanders a 1-0 series lead and set the tone for a series that the Isles would go on to sweep.

"That goal for me was the favorite goal of my career for sure. Just the moment and the situation ... I end up getting it, and I knew my two linemates changed, and typically I'd fire it up, and usually I'd changed too, but [I thought] follow this up one up, you never know," said Bailey.

"I just tried to beat my guy up the ice, Barzy makes an incredible move, patience, hits the post, he's like 'Nooooo' and then he turns thinking like no one is going to be there and all of a sudden I came in, it was like slo-mo for him, he said ... [I] happen to catch it perfectly out of the air and then mayhem ensued after that."

The goal led to one of the first great calls of Brendan Burke's young career. The MSG Networks play-by-play man emphatically announced "Game 1 to the Island," which fans will remember forever and has even inspired t-shirt designs. Two years later, Bailey would score in 2OT to win Game 5 of the Isles first-round matchup with the same Penguins. In some ways, that goal was more crucial and sent the Islanders on their way to the Semi-Finals, but it was Game 1 to the Island that most would agree is the most memorable goal of Bailey's career.