Brady Tkachuk sidelined before Senators loss to Canadiens

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was sidelined for Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Senators don't think Tkachuk's injury is serious and consider it more of a day-to-day issue, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Head coach Travis Green said he hopes Tkachuk will be available for Wednesday's game against the Winnipeg Jets, according to TSN's Claire Hanna.

Ottawa rolled with 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Montreal.

Tkachuk's absence likely disappointed Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj, who said ahead of the matchup between the Atlantic Division rivals that he was eager to "butt heads" with the star forward.

He was initially labeled a game-time decision for the contest. Tkachuk was outstanding for the United States during the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring three goals and recording 22 hits in four games.

The 25-year-old suffered an injury when he crashed into the net during Monday's clash against Sweden, though he played in Thursday's final against Canada.

Tkachuk leads the Senators with 21 goals and ranks third on the team with 44 points in 56 contests this season.

Ottawa entered Saturday's action in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 29-23-4 record.