Bellows left his mark on the game in the third period, scoring his first-career game-winning goal to put the Isles ahead 4-3. An instinctual scorer, Bellows threw a sharp-angled shot on net from the left corner, catching Jonathan Quick out of position after Derick Brassard's initial drive. Bellows said scoring in a win made his first two goals that much sweeter.
"I saw Quick was out of the net and decided to throw one on net and luckily enough it went in," Bellows said. "Any time you can score and help the team win and get two points - especially at this time of the year going into a playoff run - is huge."
The 2016 first-round pick (19th overall) has given a jolt to the Islanders in his two games with the club, especially to the team's third line. Brassard has three points (1G, 2A) in his two games with Bellows, while Michael Dal Colle has a goal and an assist. Brassard, a veteran of 836 games more than Bellows, has been impressed by the rookie thus far.
"I've watched him play in the past at the World Juniors and stuff, so I always knew he was a good goal scorer," Brassard said. "When you're a young guy and it's your first game, you focus on little things and if you score goals it's a bonus a bit. But he's been playing really well away from the puck and forechecks and he's hard and he got rewarded tonight."