Senators reveal injury timeline after Nick Cousins was confirmed to be unconscious

Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins is expected to be sidelined for a week to 10 days after the heavy hit he took from Washington Capitals defenceman Jakob Chychrun on Tuesday night.

Head coach Travis Green confirmed that Cousins was unconscious for a moment after the contact.

The timeline gives Ottawa a clearer picture of what to expect.

Cousins was along the boards with 2:57 left in the third period when Chychrun, a former Senator, stepped into him.

The contact appeared to be shoulder to chest, and the back of Cousins' head then struck the glass.

He needed help getting off the ice and did not return, and no penalty was called on the play.

Green indicated Cousins was not taken to hospital but was not feeling well afterward.

The NHL's rulebook penalizes hits where the head is the main point of contact, and the play drew no call on the ice, though the league's Department of Player Safety can still review incidents after the fact.

Washington went on to win 3-2 when rookie Cole Hutson scored 74 seconds into overtime at Canadian Tire Centre.

Alex Ovechkin assisted on the winner, tying Nicklas Backstrom for the franchise lead in career assists, but the result was overshadowed by what happened to Cousins.

Cousins, 33, is a veteran depth forward known for his physical, agitating style, so his absence will test Ottawa's forward depth and force Green to adjust his bottom six.

Depending on the schedule, a week to 10 days should translate to a handful of games.

Head injuries rarely follow a fixed schedule, and a player who shows concussion symptoms must clear the league's return-to-play steps before he is cleared for games, so the estimate could shift.

For now, the priority in Ottawa is Cousins' recovery, with the Senators hoping the week-to-10-days estimate holds.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
Talk of a major change to NHL officiating rules sparks after Cole Caufield controversy