As thousands of hockey-mad Sens fans packed the Canadian Tire Centre for another Home Opener, the last thing they were expecting was Ottawa's captain to pick up a significant injury. Yet, that's exactly what happened, as a cross-check from Nashville captain Roman Josi slowly took its toll on Brady Tkachuk. He was unavailable for the dying minutes of regulation in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Predators. Then, he was ruled out of action for at least 4 weeks. And now, following surgery on his right thumb, he will be MIA for the next 6-8 weeks, theoretically putting him back on the ice before Christmas. In this special online edition of CFRA Live, technical producer Stephen Ellsworth explains why Tkachuk's absence is a tough pill to swallow for a team on the rise, and why he thinks the Sens can overcome this early-season setback.

<p>As thousands of hockey-mad Sens fans packed the Canadian Tire Centre for another Home Opener, the last thing they were expecting was Ottawa's captain to pick up a significant injury. Yet, that's exactly what happened, as a cross-check from Nashville captain Roman Josi slowly took its toll on Brady Tkachuk. He was unavailable for the dying minutes of regulation in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Predators. Then, he was ruled out of action for at least 4 weeks. And now, following surgery on his right thumb, he will be MIA for the next 6-8 weeks, theoretically putting him back on the ice before Christmas. In this special online edition of CFRA Live, technical producer Stephen Ellsworth explains why Tkachuk's absence is a tough pill to swallow for a team on the rise, and why he thinks the Sens can overcome this early-season setback.</p>