Ottawa will likely be without forward Nick Cousins for the next few games after taking a big hit from Washington’s Jakob Chychrun.
Cousins took the impact from the former Senator, but then bounced his head off the glass before falling hard to the ice. No penalty was called on the play and he required assistance to leave the game.
Cousins is the type of player who does not always show up on the scoresheet but his impact is unmistakable.
He has the ability to play up and down the lineup, plays the role of agitator and knows how to bring out the best of his teammates. He is the energy guy many teams consider invaluable.
“I think everybody hates these scenes in hockey and any sport,” said Senators captain Thomas Chabot. “Obviously, you’re aware it’s part of the game, but it’s a lot more than the game of hockey, and it sucks seeing him like that.”
Senators head coach Travis Green didn’t have much of an update on Cousin post-game other than to say “he’s not doing great.”
The Senators had one of their better performances of the season on Tuesday but still ended up in the loss column.
The Senators (11-6-2) outworked, outmuscled and outshot the Washington Capitals but couldn’t outscore the visitors, falling 3-2 in overtime.
The bright side was the fact they still managed to earn a point.
The Senators have been without starting goaltender Linus Ullmark for almost three weeks but have managed to hold their own and play some impressive hockey.
The Senators have gone 4-3-2 without Ullmark, thanks in large part to 27-year-old Samuel Ersson of Sweden, who seems to be finding his game, and the team remaining committed to smart decisions with and without the puck.
Tuesday was a perfect example. Washington scored on its first shot and outshot Ottawa 11-5 in the opening 20 minutes.
Washington’s Matt Roy (3) reacts after scoring against the Ottawa Senators in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. (Marc DesRosiers/Imagn Images/Reuters)
From the start of the second, the Senators dominated and outshot the Capitals 17-2, holding the American squad without a shot for more than 21 minutes.
“I thought we played awesome tonight,” said coach Green. “It was one of our better games of the year.”
Not one to be lavish in his praise, Green said he liked everything about his team’s game.
“Thought we checked well,” he said. “We created a lot. Put a lot of pressure on the back end.”
It’s not just Ullmark: the Senators have been hit hard by injuries through the first 19 games of the season.
They were without Jake Sanderson for eight games, Artem Zub missed seven and Chabot missed four.
Forward Warren Foegele has now missed six, while Andre Burakovsky has been in and out of the lineup and they lost William Eklund after just four games with a torn tendon in his ankle.
Early in the season the Senators often had to rely on Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson to carry the offensive load, but in their last three games Ottawa has been getting depth scoring from the likes of Michael Amadio, Fabian Zetterlund, Ridly Greig and Cousins.
Even Ottawa’s fourth line is chipping in with Hayden Hodgson picking up a goal Tuesday.
Ottawa’s Hayden Hodgson watches the puck as he scores on Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson. (Keito Newman/The Canadian Press)
Despite the rash of injuries the Senators are committing to Green’s system and getting rewarded.
“There’s times you might not play your best hockey and you’ll end up winning the game,” Chabot said. “And there’s times you’ll feel like you played great hockey and you end up losing.”
Ottawa’s next game is Thursday, where they plan to debut their new “Hometown Remix” uniforms that are a gold-tinged ode to the city’s architecture, including the Parliament buildings and Alexandra Bridge.
