Tampa Bay Lightning Injury Report: J.T. Brown Out Tonight Against Boston Bruins
Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown has been ruled out of tonight’s contest against the Lightning’s Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Bruins.
Yesterday, as the Tampa Bay Lightning prepare to take on their Atlantic Division rivals in one of the most important showdowns of the season, the team announced they had recalled forward Joel Vermin from the Syracuse Crunch to join the Lightning’s lineup.
This move sparked many questions among the Lightning faithful as to why a recall was needed when there had been no real injuries announced. Well, it seems as if we have stumbled upon the reason for the recall.
According to Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Reporter Caley Chelios, Lightning forward J.T. Brown has been deemed out of tonight’s contest against the Boston Bruins. The Tampa Bay Lightning has not given any information as to the nature and/or severity of Brown’s injury at this point and time.
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The 26-year-old Lightning forward has not been what one would refer to as one of the most productive forwards in the Lightning lineup right now, but Brown offers up something the team has been lacking, for the most part, over the last few years; gritty play and aggression on the ice.
When you think of popular enforcers on the team, names like former Lightning players Steve Downie and Radko Gudas quickly come to mind. Unfortunately, after their departure from the team, there seemed to be a serious lack of aggressiveness. This a service in which Brown deftly provides the Lightning.
As we mentioned before, when it comes to the scoresheet, you won’t find any glitz or glam. In the 63 games Brown has played with the Lightning this season, he has managed to bring home three goals and three assists for a total of six points along with 71 minutes of time in the sin bin.
The Tampa Bay Lightning will face a tough challenge tonight. Unfortunately, this tough challenge is one they simply must overcome if the team wants to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Lightning is set to take on the Boston Bruins later tonight. Should the Bruins bring home the victory, they will find themselves six points ahead of the Bolts in the Standings and could spell the end of the Bolts’ playoff hopes.
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While Brown may not be a Steven Stamkos or Nikita Kucherov on the ice, there is something to be said about team chemistry. Chemistry is a very volatile thing, and if disturbed in the wrong way could explode and send the team into a downward spiral. Let’s hope Brown’s absence in the lineup doesn’t produce this reaction.