COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — The Columbus Blue Jackets scored in every period to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 in NHL action Thursday night at Nationwide Arena before an announced crowd of 14,918. Charlie Coyle opened the scoring for Columbus late in the first period. The Blue Jackets then pulled away with two more goals in the second from Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski. Vancouver’s Brock Boeser broke goaltender Elvis Merzlikins’ shutout bid late in the second, but Kent Johnson restored the three-goal lead for Columbus in the third. Merzlikins made 30 saves for the win. The Blue Jackets improved to 21-26, while the Canucks fell to 16-31 with their fourth straight loss.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — The Columbus Blue Jackets delivered a comprehensive performance on home ice Thursday night, dispatching the struggling Vancouver Canucks 4-1 at Nationwide Arena. A crowd of 14,918 watched as the Blue Jackets, led by a dominant second period and a 30-save effort from goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, controlled play for long stretches to improve their season record to 21-26. Vancouver, meanwhile, saw its losing skid extend as it fell to 16-31 on the campaign. Columbus set the tone early, outshooting the Canucks 15-8 in the opening frame and breaking through late. After a sustained offensive-zone shift, Charlie Coyle of Weymouth, Mass., capitalized on a scramble in front of the Vancouver net, potting a backhand past goaltender Kevin Lankinen at 17:25. Kirill Marchenko of Barnaul, Russia, and Adam Fantilli of Nobleton, Canada, picked up assists on the play, which gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead they would not relinquish. The Blue Jackets seized full command with a pair of goals in a span of 9:25 during the second period. Marchenko doubled the advantage at 10:49, firing a wrist shot for his 17th goal of the season. Defenseman Zach Werenski of Grosse Pointe, Mich., then made it 3-0 at 20:14 with a wrist shot from the point, assisted by Kent Johnson of Port Moody, Canada. Vancouver managed a brief response on the power play later in the period. With Columbus’s Marchenko serving a hooking minor, Brock Boeser of Burnsville, Minn., snapped a wrist shot past Merzlikins at 28:09. Elias Pettersson and defenseman Zeev Buium registered the assists, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Any hope of a Vancouver comeback was snuffed out in the third period as Merzlikins remained sharp, turning aside all 10 shots he faced in the final frame. Columbus iced the game at the 30:13 mark when Johnson finished a precise passing sequence, converting a feed from Boone Jenner of Dorchester, Canada, for his fifth goal of the year. Damon Severson of Melville, Canada, earned the secondary assist. Merzlikins, from Riga, Latvia, was stellar in securing the victory, his key stops early and throughout preserving the lead. His counterpart, Lankinen, made 33 saves on 37 shots in the losing effort. The Blue Jackets’ offensive effort was balanced, with Coyle (one goal, eight shots), Marchenko (one goal, one assist), Johnson (one goal, one assist), and Werenski (one goal, five shots) all recording multi-point nights. Fantilli contributed an assist and four shots. For Vancouver, Boeser’s power-play marker was the lone bright spot on a night where the team managed just one goal for the fifth time in its last six games. Columbus successfully killed both Vancouver power plays, while the Canucks went 1-for-2 on their penalty kill. The Blue Jackets also held a decisive edge in shots on goal, 37-31. The result flipped the script from the teams’ previous meeting on Nov. 8, 2025, when Vancouver edged Columbus 4-3. The Blue Jackets’ victory also defied the pregame betting line, which had installed Columbus as a 1.5-goal favorite, and sent the total score under the over/under line of 6.5. A projection from National Statistical had forecast a 3-1 Columbus win, which closely mirrored the final outcome, though the firm’s ELO system had given the Blue Jackets a 57.3% probability to win. The loss continues a difficult road trip and season for the Canucks, who have now been outscored 18-4 in their last four games away from home. They will look to regroup when they return to Vancouver to host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. The Blue Jackets, who have won two straight and three of their last four, will embark on a short road trip, facing the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday before returning home to host the Ottawa Senators next Tuesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — Two teams looking to halt extended slides will meet Thursday night when the Vancouver Canucks visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Canucks (16-29-0) arrive having lost five straight games in regulation and are 1-8-1 in their last 10. Their most recent outing was a 6-3 loss at Montreal on Monday. Vancouver’s road record is a league-worst 5-18-0. Columbus (19-26-0) has struggled nearly as much, going 2-7-1 over its last 10 games. The Blue Jackets snapped a four-game skid with a 3-2 overtime win at Utah on Sunday but are just 9-14-0 on home ice this season. A key matchup will feature Vancouver forward Max Sasson against Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves. Sasson, who scored in the loss to Montreal, has three goals in his last 12 games and is a rare bright spot for a Canucks offense that has been shut out twice during its losing streak and averages a league-low 2.22 goals per game. Greaves gives the Blue Jackets a chance nightly, having faced an average of 32.2 shots over his last 10 appearances. He stopped 25 of 27 shots in the win over Utah and has a .915 save percentage in that span, often keeping Columbus competitive despite defensive lapses. The teams have met once this season, with Vancouver securing a 4-3 home win on Nov. 8. The Canucks have lost eight straight road games since a shootout victory in Seattle on Dec. 29. For Vancouver, Elias Pettersson and Evander Kane, who also scored against Montreal, will need to provide secondary scoring. Columbus will look to build on its overtime momentum, with forwards Mikael Pyyhtia and Charlie Coyle coming off goal-scoring performances. The game opens a three-game road trip for Vancouver, which hosts Edmonton on Saturday. Columbus begins a back-to-back set, traveling to Pittsburgh on Saturday. Both clubs are near the bottom of their respective conference standings and desperately need points to keep fading playoff hopes alive. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.