With Jean-Gabriel Pageau's return, Josh Bailey ends up a healthy scratch
Islanders right wing Josh Bailey sets before a face off against the Golden Knights in the second period of an NHL game at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s return to the lineup after a 12-game injury absence has forced coach Lane Lambert to make another regular healthy scratch.
Josh Bailey, the longest-tenured Islander who is six games short of tying Denis Potvin with the second-most games played in team history at 1,060, took a seat in the press box on Wednesday night as the Islanders beat the Ducks, 6-3, at Honda Center.
It marked Bailey’s fifth healthy scratch this season.
“I had a good conversation with Josh,” Lambert said. “We’ll keep it at that. It’s private. These are decisions you have to make on a game-to-game basis and we need to stay fresh.”
Simon Holmstrom, a healthy scratch for Pageau’s return in Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss to the Kings that opened this three-game California swing, logged 14:23 with one shot as he started on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s third line and finished on Bo Horvat’s top line.
Bailey, who skated on Bo Horvat’s top line against the Kings, has gone three games without a point after putting together a season-high three-game point streak.
Holmstrom, who has four goals and one assist in 41 games, had been in the lineup for 22 straight games before Tuesday’s healthy scratch.
Highlight-reel goal
The Ducks retook a 2-1 lead off a highlight-reel play from Trevor Zegras, who sped over the blue line and went between his legs, turning defenseman Ryan Pulock around, before backhanding a cross-ice feed to defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk at 17:43 of the first period.
Isles files
C Brock Nelson became the first Islander with 30 goals in back-to-back seasons since Anders Lee in 2016-17 and 2017-18 . . . Nelson had a game-high six shots in his sixth, two-goal game this season . . . C Bo Horvat won 10 of 14 faceoffs . . . The Islanders won the two-game season series from the Ducks by an aggregate 13-4 . . . LW Ross Johnston and D Parker Wotherspoon remained healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
