Canucks Give Better Effort But Fall To Blue Jackets, Further Heightening Speculation Of An Impending Shakeup

by Craig Merz / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

COLUMBUS — Elvis Merzlikins made 39 saves for the Columbus Blue Jackets in their third straight win, 4-2 against the Vancouver Canucks at Nationwide Arena on Friday.

Jack Roslovic scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period for the Blue Jackets (12-6-0), who have won three in a row. He made it 3-2 at 6:06.

Thatcher Demko made 17 saves for the Canucks (6-13-2), who have lost three straight and are 2-8-1 in their past 11 games.

Gustav Nyquist scored at 13:54 of the first period to give Columbus a 1-0 lead. It was his second shorthanded goal in 482 NHL games.

Vasily Podkolzin tied it 1-1 at 19:31.

Adam Boqvist put the Blue Jackets ahead 2-1 at 6:17 of the second period.

Tyler Motte’s deflection off a Quinn Hughes point shot goes past Elvis Merzlikins in net for Columbus.

Tyler Motte made it 2-2 at 18:42. The former Blue Jackets forward scored his first of the season with a tip of a shot from the blue line by Quinn Hughes.

Max Domi scored into an empty net with 1:35 left in the third period to make it 4-2.