The Ottawa Senators will be without their top defenceman in Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes, as Jake Sanderson sustaining a concussion in Game 3 and will not be available, per TSN’s Claire Hanna.
Senators head coach Travis Green told reporters that Sanderson is “not doing very well,” and that he pulled himself from the game on Thursday.
Green also said that blueliner Artem Zub, who was injured in Game 1 and has not played since, will also be unavailable on Saturday.
Sanderson took a hit to the head from Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall early in the second period of Thursday’s game. Hall received a two-minute minor penalty on the play.
Green went off once again Friday as reports indicated Hall would not face a hearing from the department of player safety for the hit.
“I’d be shocked if there wasn’t supplementary discipline in this event,” Green said. “It’s a blatant shot to the head. Shocked that it wasn’t a major - I’m surprised that there’s not some kind of talk about supplementary discipline, I never heard there isn’t.”
The 6-foot-2, left-shot defenceman remained in the game after the hit until halfway through the period when he took a puck off his right hand while the Senators were on a two-man advantage.
Sanderson then left for the locker room and didn’t return to the game. Ottawa was trailing 1-0 at the time of the injury and ultimately lost the game 2-1.
Green told reporters after the game the Sanderson’s exit was due to Hall’s hit.
“I just don’t understand how there’s not a five-minute major called on a hit to the head,” Green said in frustration that Hall was limited to a two-minute minor penalty.
“It’s a blatant hit to the head. The kind of hits you don’t want to see. It’s ridiculous that there wasn’t even a review,” Green added after the game. “I’d be shocked if there isn’t ... a review from the league on that, and something done.”
Sanderson, 23, was one of Ottawa’s top defencemen in the regular season, registering 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games in the regular season while averaging 24:50 of ice time.
He had two assists after the first three playoff games while averaging 27:57 of ice time.
The Senators trail the Hurricanes 3-0 in the series with Game 4 set on Saturday from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.
