J.T. Brown is a man somewhat hidden on the Lightning roster amid an abundance of offensive talent, but Lightning coach Jon Cooper noted the 24-year-old winger plays a larger role for Tampa than outsiders might expect.
Brown is making plays in these playoffs at both ends of the ice, creating scoring chances with the deft touch of an Ondrej Palat or Nikita Kucherov while breaking up scoring chances in his own zone like an elite defenseman.
Cooper rewarded the young winger with more playing time. Brown typically played fewer than 10 minutes per game during the regular season, but he played more than 14 minutes in five of the seven games against the Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals. The only negative for Brown in these playoffs is his lack of points: Brown has just one point -- a goal -- in 18 playoff games.
"The one thing we always have in our back pocket is J.T.,’’ Cooper told The Tampa Tribune. "That’s why I’m just hoping that one of these pucks finally goes in for him, because if there’s one guy that deserves it, it’s J.T."
(h/t The Tampa Tribune)
Photo credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
