Americans dealt brutal news on Brady Tkachuk vs. Sweden

If the Americans are to earn their 3rd-straight victory of the 4 Nations Faceoff, they will have to do so without bruising forward .

The hard-nosed captain of the Ottawa Senators was injured tonight at TD Garden against Sweden after he drove to the net and slammed into the side of the post and goaltender Samuel Ersson.

He eventually returned for a brief 14 second shift but decided he wasn't able to continue, and was soon ruled out for the remainder of the game.

They are already playing without Brady's brother Matthew Tkachuk as a precaution, along with team captain Auston Matthews; he's also out due to a precaution.

Both players are expected back into the lineup for Thursday's rematch against Canada. However, Brady Tkachuk's status for the game has yet to be determined.

If the Americans are forced to play without Brady Tkachuk, it would leave a significant gap in their lineup in terms of physicality, leadership and offense.