Brady Tkachuk fights through injury woes to guide the Ottawa Senators to the win

There was a moment of fear for Senators fans as Ottawa's captain, Brady Tkachuk, seemed to be in pain during the first period in an encounter against the New Jersey Devils. The 24-year-old forward has been dealing with a sore hip. After getting bumped off the puck, he skated off the ice visibly wincing, but he came back with a vengeance in the second period. The golden reward for his efforts came when he scored to give the Senators a 3-2 win.Clearly, Brady Tkachuk demonstrated once again why he is this Senators team's heart and soul. He returned to the action in the second period and did not waste any time making his presence felt-with his 28th goal of the season, Ottawa took the lead. Playing through pain and stepping up at crucial times are leadership traits Coach Travis Green believes he showed after the game.When he returned, Tkachuk's ice time was limited. He played just 13:23, well short of his normal workload. He had earlier claimed to be completely healthy, but the fact that his minutes were reduced appears to indicate that the Senators are still keeping a close eye on him as they battle for a playoff spot.With the emotionally charged opening goal from Tkachuk, Ottawa ensured its offensive never let up. Second-period goals from Drake Batherson and David Perron were huge for the Senators' favorable goal margin to maintain a hold on the game. Linus Ullmark was instead the other unsung hero this time, stopping 25 shots to thwart New Jersey. The Devils managed to spoil the Senators' shutout mood with a goal 24 seconds from the end, but Ottawa got the win.Senators' win improved their record to 37-27-5 and 79 points in 69 games, giving them a four-point edge on the Montreal Canadiens while in hot pursuit of the Eastern Conference first wild-card spot.Also Read : Connor Bedard’s Commitment to the Chicago Blackhawks: A Bright Future AwaitsBrady Tkachuk has yet again proved his worth as a true leader by gritting his teeth in pain to the benefit of the team in yet another important victory. As the Ottawa Senators try to fight for their playoff position, his availability will be a prime determinant. With the playoffs just around the corner, the Senators will be hoping that their captain stays injury-free and continues leading from the front.