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The Ottawa Senators are set to face the Colorado Avalanche at home Thursday, but they’ll be minus another forward.
Nick Cousins sustained a concussion on Tuesday after crashing head first to the ice from thunderous hit thrown by Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
Chychrun, a former Senator took advantage of Cousins looking down to play the puck for a fraction of a second to make huge check. Skating in at full speeed, Chychrun unloaded with his elbow tucked slightly in, catching the Senators forward in the shoulder, where Cousins violently spun into the boards then hitting the ice.
His head bloodied, Cousins was eventually assisted off the ice after a couple of minutes. Senators head coach Travis Green said Wednesday, he believed Cousins briefly lost consciousness.
A silver lining, Green stated Cousins is “Doing okay, I guess,” will likely miss only seven to 10 days.
He now joins an already full infirmary which includes three Senators, William Eklund, Warren Foegele, Andre Burakovsky. While Foegele and Burakovsky may each return end-November, Eklund is out until late December, early January.
One Senators staffer noted, Eklund’s return will be like a mid-season trade acquisition due to his time missed.
There was a ton of discussion as whether the hit itself was a clean one.
Chychrun was issued a major penalty, but upon review by officials Brandon Blandina and Beau Halkidis, the call was rescinded entirely.
Senators Ridly Greig chose his words carefully postgame Tuesday, “Yeah, be careful what I say. I don’t like seeing that stuff.”
Hayden Hodgson who notched his first NHL goal and only his second of his career since March 24, 2022 added Cousins’ leaving the game “sucked the life out of us.”
The hit was a violent one with Chychrun charging in from the blue line. However, Cousins was playing the puck and the first point of contact wasn’t the head area.
From instant memory, the huge check will go down as one the biggest ever at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Others include Flyers Steve Downie crushing Senators forward Dean McCammond in the 2007 preseason, resulting in a 20-game suspension; Senators Chris Neil’s loud collision with Bruins Johnny Boychuk in 2010 which rocked each player; and last season’s playoff hit by Tyler Kleven on Hurricanes Alexander Nikishin immediately come to mind.
While hopeful Cousins absence will be short-term, the versatile left wing had played a part on all four Senators forward trios of late, notching the game-winning goal in the final three minutes in the Senators 3-2 victory over Utah Saturday.
With Cousins out of the Senators lineup, Philip Tomasino who has four points (one goal, three assists) in five games since being recalled from Belleville will likely return to the second line alongside Shane Pinto/Drake Batherson.
There may be a callup Thursday, but for the present, expect Sammy Blais to draw back in versus the Avalanche.
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