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Duclair scores hat-trick in OT win over Columbus

By Naftali Clinton

OTTAWA, ON - DECEMBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Anthony Duclair (10) skates by the bench to celebrate a goal during first period National Hockey League action between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators on December 14, 2019, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - DECEMBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Anthony Duclair (10) skates by the bench to celebrate a goal during first period National Hockey League action between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators on December 14, 2019, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Senators forward Anthony Duclair scored a hat-trick in the sens 4-3 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Many players score hat-tricks but very few feel as good as this one for Duclair. As Duclair has a very fine game against his former team.

Not deemed good enough for Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella to stay in the lineup last year consistently, he was traded as a spare part at the deadline, in the Dzingel deal.

That trade looked good for Ottawa at the time but is only looking better as the great play of Anthony Duclair continues.

It was Ryan Dzingel and a 2019 seventh round pick in exchange for Anthony Duclair and a pair of second rounders in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

All Columbus got out of the deal at this point is the seventh round pick, as Ryan Dzingel decided to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes instead of the Blue Jackets. His time in Columbus wasn’t merry at all, as he was healthy scratched in the playoffs and didn’t succeed under Tortorella’s system.

Duclair on the other hand is playing better than he ever has in Ottawa. Through 33 games he has 18 goals and seven assists for a handsome 25 points.

He is first on the Senators in points, which is quite the surprise as sens fans assumed Brady Tkachuk and Colin White would lead the team offensively.

This is a giant in-your-face for Duclair against Torts, as the Columbus coach must wish he hadn’t traded the gifted goal-scorer away. The Blue Jackets are struggling to score this year with the departures of Matt Duchene, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Dzingel and Anthony Duclair.

Duclair is on track for 45 goals and 62 points which would place him as one of the top goal-scorers of the league. That would be the most goals scored in a single season as an Ottawa Senator, since Dany Heatley scored 50 in 2006-07.

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