NHL analyst states Senators' freefall signifies their identity-less team without Brady Tkachuk

The Ottawa Senators lost 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday to the Edmonton Oilers. This was their fourth game without their captain Brady Tkachuk, who went on the Injured Reserve last Monday, in a game against the Nashville Predators.

In these four games, the Senators conceded 19 goals, and earned a 1-1-2 record. They remain last in the NHL in goals and are tied with the San Jose Sharks for goals against per game. The team's identity of playing swift and decisive hockey, leaving no room for their opponents, seems to have been ruffled by Brady Tkachuk's absence from the sidelines.

NHL analyst Marty Biron speaking on TSN's broadcast on Tuesday, stated that the team needs to find the identity that propelled them to the playoffs last year.

"I'm concerned because their identity is non-existent," Biron said. (2:30) "Like, I don't know if Brady Tkachuk has taken the identity of the team with him. But there was not a lot of push back. And listen, maybe the Ottawa Senators are playing a little bit scared right now because they've given up so many goals, right?

"...I feel like there's so many other things that right now the Ottawa Senators have to work on. But the one thing is find your identity back. It's not there. And I don't know if you got to get Brady Tkachuk in the locker room before every game, but he's got to bring some of that identity back into the locker room because it wasn't there against the Oilers at all."

Tkachuk, who was recklessly hit by Predators captain Roman Josi, was expected to miss at least three more weeks. After a second opinion and undergoing surgery, the talismanic forward is now set to be sidelined for a period of six to eight weeks.

During Tuesday's game, the Senators showed signs of improvement, coming back from a 2-0 deficit at the end of the second period. They scored two goals via Dylan Cozens and Thomas Chabot within the first 2:00 of the third period. However, an overtime goal from Jake Walman gave Edmonton the win.

Thomas Chabot feels Senators played like themselves in OT loss to Oilers

In Tkachuk's absence, alternate captain Thomas Chabot is the designated leader of the team alongside Claude Giroux. According to him, speaking to reporters after their game on Tuesday, the Senators' comeback signified their return to playing as a unit.

“I think we saw the Ottawa Senators tonight,” Chabot said via NHL's website. “It’s plain and simple: we played to our identity and we played our game. We put pressure on them all night, we created a lot of chances. Obviously, some of them didn’t go in, but just the way we came back in the third and a huge goal by ‘Cozy’ to get us rolling on the power play.

“I mean, it sucks to lose and everybody’s pissed about the loss, but at the end of the day, it’s a step in the right direction, we feel like.”

Chabot and rest of the leadership group that includes Cozens, Jake Sanderson, Tim Stutzle along with head coach Travis Green are expected to steer the ship and keep the Senators fire going.