Canucks drop 5th-straight road game as Merzlikins buoys Blue Jackets

Elvis Merzlikins stopped 39 shots, Gustav Nyquist scored short-handed and had an assist, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat Vancouver Canucks 4-2 Friday night.

Jack Roslovic scored the tie-breaking goal 6:06 into the third period for Columbus, and Adam Boqvist and Max Domi also scored. The Blue Jackets have won three straight and four of five.

Vancouver has lost five in a row on the road. Vasily Podkolzin and Tyler Motte scored, and Thatcher Demko stopped 17 shots as the Canucks lost for the eighth time in their last nine games.

Vancouver pulled even with 27.6 seconds left in the first period when Justin Dowling intercepted a clearing pass and fed Podkolzin for his fourth goal of the season.

"We were on our game," Vancouver coach Travis Green said. "Our details were sharp. Give our group a lot of credit. They played a strong game and they're gonna have to bounce back. It's tough to lose when you play well. Especially when things are going the way they are."

WATCH l Canucks get late tie but end up with another road loss against Blue Jackets:

Canucks come up just short, lose to Blue Jackets

3 years ago

Duration 0:49

Blue Jackets forward Jack Roslovic had the winning goal as Columbus defeated Vancouver 4-2.

Despite being outshot 16-5, Columbus took the lead back at 6:17 of the second when Boqvist beat Demko with the rebound of Cole Sillinger's shot for his second goal of the year.

"There was nothing pretty about it," Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. "Elvis was solid again in the net for us. He came up huge all game. I'm happy to win a game that way. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't perfect. But you are probably going to have to find a way to do it again."

Roslovic's third goal of the season, a sniper shot from the point, put Columbus up 3-2. Jakub Voracek's assist pushed his home point streak to six games and gave him an NHL-leading 14 primary assists.

Domi scored an empty-netter with 1:35 remaining in the game.

WATCH l CBC Sports' Rob Pizzo examines 9 players who terrorized many goalies:

9 players who punished the most goalies...in 90 seconds

3 years ago

Duration 2:10

These players not only scored a lot of goals in their careers, but made sure to do it against as many goaltenders as possible.