The Ottawa Senators were dealt a tough blow Tuesday night, losing two of their top players, Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk, to injuries in a single period during their matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. Both players are set to be re-evaluated tomorrow, according to Ottawa head coach Travis Green.
The game took a turn halfway through the second period when Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj delivered a high hit on Stützle as he entered the offensive zone. The impact sent Stützle sprawling and left him with a cut on his nose. Xhekaj received a five-minute major penalty and was ejected from the game. Stützle, who suffered an upper-body injury, did not return.
Tkachuk went after Xhekaj.
The Senators capitalized on the lengthy power play, scoring three goals to erase a 2-0 deficit and pull ahead 3-2. However, the celebration was short-lived as captain Brady Tkachuk, visibly upset by the hit on his teammate, retaliated and was assessed a roughing penalty. Tkachuk played just 8:15 minutes in the game before exiting with an upper-body injury of his own.
With both Stützle and Tkachuk out for the remainder of the contest, Ottawa’s lineup was significantly depleted. Ottawa did end up winning the game 4-3, but the loss of Stützle and Tkachuk, along with Thomas Chabot — who was held out for precautionary reasons — is the bigger story from the game. All are vital to the Senators’ success, making these potential injuries a major concern moving forward.
The Senators will await further updates on the statuses of their two stars as they prepare for their next game. Meanwhile, Xhekaj’s hit will discussed at great length as this is now twice in a week that he’s made a questionable decision that the NHL DoPS might want to take a look at.
