Islanders fans, breathe a sigh of relief. Josh Bailey is back.
After missing the last four games with a lower-body injury, the Isles dynamic winger is set to rejoin the top line Thursday night alongside John Tavares and Anders Lee against the Bruins at Barclays Center. Bailey — second on the team in points (50) and fifth in the entire NHL in assists (38) — will also return to the top power-play unit.
“It’s never fun missing games,” he said. “You’re always chomping at the bit to get back. I’m excited that it didn’t end up being too long.”
So too is coach Doug Weight, who has had to make several adjustments to compensate for an onslaught of injuries throughout the season.
“[Bailey], amongst other guys, has been a really big loss. It’s been noticeable,” he said. “It will be good to see him back out there.”
Bailey had to exit early in a 4-0 loss Jan. 5 to the Penguins. He apparently considered returning to action that evening, but ultimately thought it wiser not to rush back.
“Glad I didn’t because it might have been worse,” he explained.
And with several squads jockeying for playoff positions, the Islanders need Bailey for every game possible. They managed to go 3-1 in his absence and entered Thursday sixth in an extremely competitive Metropolitan division, but the Bruins, currently on a league-best 14-game point streak, pose a major challenge.
“There were some good things and obviously some things we’d like to improve on,” said Bailey, when asked what he noticed observing his team while out. “We were able to put a few wins together which is the most important thing. Doesn’t always matter how you get it done.”
Weight praised Bailey for his determination to get back, as the 28-year-old cancelled a vacation he had planned for the bye week (Jan. 8-13) and instead used the time to get healthy. He has been skating “pretty hard” for the last three or four days, so while some rust is to be expected, Bailey should have his wind and strength basically where it needs to be, according to Weight.
Bailey’s teammates recognize the importance of his return, which stabilizes the lineup from top to bottom.
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“It’s huge,” defenseman Thomas Hickey said. “It slots people back together, it puts that line back together and that’s important, and it makes our depth that much better when you can add a first line player back in your lineup.”
“It slots guys into more comfortable roles, better roles, and I think makes your team play better,” Weight added.
In his 10th year with the Islanders, Bailey is having his best season yet, on pace to set new career-highs across the board. He was playing superb hockey just before sustaining the injury, being named the NHL’s second star for the month of December with 22 points in 15 outings.
Later this month, the veteran will appear in his first All-Star game.
As both his former teammate and now coach, Weight has had a good view of Bailey’s growth. He pointed to several potential reasons for the recent explosion, whether it be extra work and focus, added confidence, or “it just happened to be his time.”
Whatever sparked it, the Islanders are glad to have it back.