Matt Duchene had to go all the way across the hallway to join his new team.
The Columbus Blue Jackets swung a trade this afternoon with the Ottawa Senators for Duchene, their star center. With both teams facing off tonight, it was just a short walk for Duchene go join his new team – and he got plugged right in on the top line.
He was busy, too – only Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin played more among Blue Jackets forwards tonight – as the Blue Jackets went on to win by a final of 3-0.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| SENATORS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
With Duchene in the fold, Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois was bumped down from his typical number one center role, and he didn't wait long to make an impact on his new line, firing a smooth pass to Josh Anderson, who put the Blue Jackets on the board late in the first period.
Anderson finding a pocket of space and completely slamming it home.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/RoxQu5YpMI
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 23, 2019
Anderson's goal was his 22nd of the season and Dubois' assist was the 100th point on his young career. Cam Atkinson added a shorthanded goal in the third period to put the Blue Jackets up 2-0.
Shorty scoring shorties. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/peF2EVALBn
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 23, 2019
Oliver Bjorkstrand's 11th goal of the season stretched the Blue Jackets lead to 3-0, and they wouldn't be caught from there.
Sergei Bobrovsky was outstanding in net – although he wasn't tested much – stopping all 21 Ottawa shots on the night.
Injury Update
Ryan Murray was placed on injured reserve earlier today – and may miss extended time – while Alexander Wennberg was listed as a healthy scratch and missed tonight's game.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets will face the San Jose Sharks at home tomorrow in their last game before the trade deadline. It's part of an absolutely brutal stretch to end the season – but today's addition gives them more firepower for that stretch run.
