An otherwise good opening period for Tampa ended on a down note as, during the first intermission, the team announced J.T. Brown suffered an upper-body injury, and wouldn’t return.
Brown was hurt blocking a shot early in the contest, and quickly skated to the bench in discomfort. He played just 2:29 before being ruled out entirely.
A hard-working, physical presence at forward, Brown had a nice year for the Bolts, posting career highs in games played (78), goals (eight), points (22) and average TOI (13:22). He also led the club in penalty minutes, with 59.
Brown had cemented his spot as a regular during last year’s playoffs, when he played in 24 of Tampa’s 26 playoff games -- so, if he’s out for any length of time, his absence will be noticeable.
Tampa Bay is already dealing with injuries to captain Steve Stamkos (vascular surgery) and Anton Stralman (broken leg).