Patrick Brown Returned To The AHL

The Boston Bruins have sent rugged forward Patrick Brown back to their American Hockey League affiliate the Providence Bruins (according to AHL Transactions report). The 31-year-old was recalled on an emergency basis back on May 5th after he hadn’t played in an NHL game since January 27th. Brown signed a two-year, $1.6MM deal with Boston on July 1st, 2023, and it was a return of sorts after he’d spent four years with Boston College during his NCAA career.

The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native did play during his call-up, dressing for Boston’s 5-1 victory in game 1 over the Florida Panthers on Monday. However, he was scratched last night and sent back to Providence this morning. Brown played 8:27 of game 1, registering a whopping nine hits, while winning 71.4% of his faceoffs and taking a minor penalty.

Despite throwing his weight around, Brown’s scratch last night wasn’t a big surprise as the Bruins were dominated while his line was on the ice. Brown’s Corsi For % in game 1 was just 27.3%, meaning that Florida controlled the puck for the majority of Brown’s shifts.

Boston will need to adjust after last night’s 6-1 loss to the Panthers. The Bruins registered just 15 shots on goal, their lowest in a playoff game in 35 years. With Brown being sent back to the AHL, Boston could be opting to incorporate more skill into their lineup, although, given the physicality of this series, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Brown called up in the next week.