Islanders top five goals from 2021-22

Kieffer Bellows vs. Buffalo Dec 30

Bellows spent the entirety of his 2021-22 season trying to prove himself to the Islanders brass. By December 30 the Isles's 2016 first-round selection had only played 12 games on the season and 34 over his, still young, NHL career.

He was drafted with the promise of being a top-6 goal-scoring winger. A player that could add around 20 goals in an NHL season. Five years after being drafted in the first round he hadn't shown that yet. We've seen glimpses, but nothing sustained.

On December 30, we saw another glimpse of Bellows's potential with this incredible solo effort from his own defensive zone through basically the entire Buffalo squad and then through the keeper.

The movement is excellent. The way he protected the puck, was also excellent. But the best part of that goal was how he disguised his shot. How he fooled the two defensemen trying to box him through the middle and the goalkeeper.

Impressive from a kid who might just have shown he can stick in the NHL by yeares end. At least in a middle-six role. That probably isn't what the Islanders had hoped they'd get out of him when they drafted him 19th overall, but at this point, you'll take what you can get from him.