Islanders top five goals from 2021-22

Josh Bailey vs Washington Apr 28

Josh Bailey isn't known as a goal scorer. It's just not the main part of his game. He's been in the NHL for 14-years now and not once has he put up 20 goals in a year. Even when you pace out his goal-scoring to account for years with fewer than 82 games played, Bailey isn't a 20-goal scorer.

He's a pass-first guy. And sometimes (some would say often) to a fault. Bailey will typically look for the pass rather than finish off the play by himself.

That wasn't the case on April 28.

Kieffer Bellows is sitting alone on the far side waiting for that pass we all thought was coming. Clearly, Bailey told himself: "I've done this much work to carve out this chance, might as well see it through."

And rightfully, so he goes around Jonsson-Fjallby as if the Caps player wasn't even there, and with Vanecek deep in his crease, Bailey knows a move or two should be enough to open up a good portion of the net. A move or two is what he does before roofing the backhander in the net.

We haven't seen enough of that from Josh Bailey over his career. We know he's got some decent hands, but he doesn't flash them nearly enough. At this point of his career, as he's set to enter his 15th NHL season, I doubt that changes.