Senators lose Brown for at least three weeks

The Ottawa Senators won't be seeing Connor Brown anytime soon.

After breaking his jaw in the warm-up before facing the Flames in Calgary on Thursday night, the Senators' veteran winger will be on the shelf for at least three weeks.

Speaking to reporters after the Senators' skate Monday at Canadian Tire Centre, coach D.J. Smith indicated there's no timetable for Brown to make his return from the injury.

“He was at the dentist (Monday) and he did everything he could,” Smith said. “We're hopeful that it's going to be sooner rather than later, but it's going to be three weeks plus for sure.”

Brown took a puck in the face from a Thomas Chabot shot in warm-up that bounced off the crossbar. Brown left the ice immediately, but played the game and even scored on a breakaway in the third period.

The next day, it was learned Brown had cracked the jaw and it's amazing he was able to play the game with the injury, but the pain didn't really start until the next day and that's when there was a further examination.

Defenceman Nick Holden wasn't on the ice Monday but Smith is hopeful he'll be ready to play Tuesday at home against the Buffalo Sabres.

A TOUGH TEST

This will be the first time the Senators and Sabres have seen each other this season. Ottawa hasn't played any teams at the bottom of the NHL standings in the first 31 games, a group that currently includes the Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens and expansion Seattle Kraken.

Smith knows the Sabres have struggled this season but that doesn't mean they won't be a difficult test.

“We've played every team that's in the playoffs right now, including some more than others,” Smith said. “Anyone can beat anyone in this league ... look at Arizona beating Toronto last week.”

Former NHLer Paul Bissonnette said on Twitter on Friday he was willing to bet his parents' RRSPs that Connor McDavid would get a point against Ottawa on Saturday and that the Oilers would skate away with the victory.

The Senators scored a 6-4 win. “You don't know anymore because anybody can beat anyone. The Buffalo Sabres have come out and they've played better this year,” Smith said. “They've got a lot of depth and their young guys look like they're coming along.

“Sure, it's great you're not playing (Alex) Ovechkin tonight or (Connor) McDavid but there's good players on that team just like there is on ours, so we've got to keep getting better ourselves.”

A NEW LOOK

With his team trailing 3-1 Saturday in Edmonton, Smith switched his lines in the third period and he stuck with those combinations. He moved Tyler Ennis to play with Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris.

That meant Drake Batherson was on the right side of Tim Stuetzle and Nick Paul.

That's the way the Senators may start against Buffalo.

Smith and his staff deserve credit for making the change mid-game.

“With Connor Brown out, it thins us out a little bit on the right side and it gives us a little more balanced attack with Tim, Drake and Paul on that one line,” Smith said. “The line of (Alex Formenton), (Adam) Gaudette and (Chris) Tierney was our best line in the third period.

“It spreads it out a bit. I'm not saying we can't go back to the old lines, but I wanted to see what this looked like in practice.”

THE LAST WORDS

Getting to practice wasn't easy for anyone in the midst of Monday's snowstorm.

Winger Austin Watson made it on time.

“It was a little bit interesting,” Watson said. “All the staff gets here pretty early so the roads were OK for them, but then two or three hours later I was up to my knees in snow trying to get to the car.”