Blue Jackets Allow Five Unanswered Goals In Loss To Canucks – Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets were swept in Alberta and were looking to Shake It Off in British Columbia on Friday night. How did it end? It wasn't the love story the Blue Jackets were hoping for when Taylor Swift played that night at BC Place.

Pius Suter scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period to help lift the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 victory over the Blue Jackets. This loss will be a bitter pill for the Blue Jackets to swallow given how they started the game.

Recap of the game

The first half was all Blue Jackets. It was very similar to how the first half went in Seattle. Mathieu Olivier opened the scoring with a great pass from Cole Sillinger. Damon Severson then scored his second goal in two days in a 2-0 loss.

The Canucks just got home from a long road trip and it showed. The score in the first half was 17-2 for the Blue Jackets. Everyone knew the Canucks would push from the second half. Eventually their thrusts were too strong to be stopped.

Brock Boeser made it 2-1 less than four minutes into the second period. Before this goal, Blue Jackets defender Ivan Provorov was brought down by Elias Pettersson. Provorov had to leave the match due to a physical injury. Replays showed that his thumb was not in a good place. With him out, the Blue Jackets had to play the rest of the game with only five defensive players.

When the Blue Jackets hung for the second time in the second after Boeser's goal, the game seemed to be over in the second half. As Zach Werenski appeared to be in position to play the puck, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins left his crease to play the puck. Kiefer Sherwood finally managed to score in this broken game. Although the Blue Jackets owned the clock, it was 2-2 after 40 minutes.

It took the Canucks only 2:17 to take the lead for good. Suter hit one just past Merzlikins and the goal line. Jake DeBrusk added a power play goal midway through the third before Suter hit an empty netter for his second of the game.

Kevin Lankinen made 15 saves in the first half to limit the damage. It could easily have been 4-0 if it wasn't for his performance. He stopped at 30/32 at night. Merzlikins only saw 16 shots but made only 12 saves.

The Blue Jackets are now 1-3-0 on this long Western road trip with one final game Sunday in Winnipeg to try to salvage a win. The Canucks will now prepare to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday afternoon.