Josh Bailey Elevates His Game During NHL Playoffs
Despite all the hate Islanders fans throw at Josh Bailey, he’s found a way to produce during the 2021 NHL Playoffs. This is a common theme for the Isles’ longest-tenured player. He hasn’t matched his 71-point 2017-18 season when he was playing next to John Tavares, but he is always one of the Isles’ best playoff performers. Bailey elevates his game to the next level during the playoffs.
More Than Just Numbers
Bailey has played in 64 playoff games, all with the New York Islanders, and registered 15 goals and 33 assists. Bailey leads all active Islanders in playoff points and is 12th in franchise history. The numbers alone don’t paint the full picture of Bailey’s playoff prowess.
Bailey has always shown up in clutch moments for the Islanders. Two particular moments that stand out are Bailey’s overtime goals in Game 1 against Pittsburgh in 2019 and in Game 5 against Pittsburgh in 2021.
The first goal was probably one of the most memorable goals in Islanders’ playoff history. Bailey drilled in a rebound off of Mat Barzal’s shot. This goal almost blew the roof off of Nassau Coliseum and started a four-game sweep of the Penguins.
The second goal ended a game in which the Islanders were being outplayed. They were lucky to be in a 2-2 tie by the end of regulation. In double-overtime, Tristan Jarry made a sloppy pass right onto Bailey’s stick. Bailey walked in on goal and shot the puck over Jarry’s glove. The Islanders went won the series in Game 6. Without Bailey’s clutch goal in Game 5, it’s possible the Islanders would be golfing instead of playing in the Stanley Cup Semifinals.
Bailey 2021 Playoff Performance
Bailey has certainly raised his game during the 2021 playoffs, registering five goals and six assists in 12 games. He had a goal and an assist in the 5-4 victory against the Bruins in Game 5. Both points were crucial. He assisted on Palmieri’s goal that gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead. Then, after the Bruins re-tied the game, he put the Islanders back on top.
He had two more assists in Game 6. They both came on Brock Nelson’s goals. The first goal gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead. Bailey then intercepted a bad pass from Tuukka Rask and found Nelson open in the slot for the tap-in. Bailey scored twice in the Second Round and has been one of the better players on the ice.
But he has more to give, as he showed in the First Round against the Penguins. He had three goals and three assists in the six-game series, including the clutch double-overtime goal that turned the series around. Bailey, along with linemates Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier, carried the Islanders in Round 1. Bailey set up beautiful plays consistently throughout the series and led an offensive powerhouse with the “Killer B’s” line.
Rest of the Playoffs
If the Islanders want to keep advancing in the NHL playoffs and win the Stanley Cup, it is extremely important for Josh Bailey to play at a high level. Right now, Mat Barzal and Jordan Eberle have found their game after a slow start to the playoffs. If Bailey and his linemates can build off their success from the end of the Second Round, the sky’s the limit for this team.
